Skimming the Surface
by EverlastingAutumnLeaves
Summary: A slice of life story about a human teenager named Flora who moves to Mt. Ebott and gets plunged into a friend group of interesting monsters. Minor action. Post-pacifist (Spoilers)
1. Once Upon A Time

**_Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS.  
One day, war broke out between the two races.  
After a long battle, the humans were victorious.  
They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell._**

 ** _After many years of being trapped and the monster king Asgore killing humans who have fallen down to gain SOUL power,_**

 ** _One human was different,_**

 ** _They brought monsters together with the power of MERCY and DETERMINATION,_**

 ** _And together they broke the magical barrier, and monsters migrated back to the surface once again..._**

* * *

Flora waved to her mother as she drove away from the school entrance. She looked around, clutching the straps of her sky blue backpack. Surrounding the pathway leading up to the prestigious-looking school built of mostly reddish-brown brick in a baroque style was something of a garden. A topiary of a smiling skeleton's head sat in the grass, its leaves blowing cheerily in the autumn breeze, which harmonized with the blowing leaves of hedges lining the path. Flora also noticed the hedges were dotted with golden flowers.

"Just breathe, I'm sure everything will be fine," Flora said to herself as she finally turned to face the crowds of children clustered around the school doors. She was able to poke out a few interesting looking ones of humans and monsters alike. It had been several years since monsters flooded back onto the surface, and she really didn't think much of it. Come to think of it, she always heard the monsters were very similar to humans, but of course, she had never actually talked to one. Now look at her, moving to the city just outside Mt. Ebott, which had the largest monster population on Earth since the monsters came back.

Flora eagerly strode into the crowd, trying not to draw attention to herself right away, which worked in her favor. She lasted the whole morning without talking to anyone. No one even came to say hi as she found a comfy place to read her favorite manga by a golden flower hedge. The school bell soon pierced her thoughts as she fumbled putting her bookmark in the manga and cramming it into her bag. She quickly realized she forgot to sign in and get a schedule. Flora shoved her way through the crowds, which probably didn't help her social case in order to get to the small office by the door.

A monster woman was waiting for her in there. She reminded Flora of a humanoid white goat. The woman wore a blue floral skirt with a matching light cerulean knit sweater. Her eyeglasses sat lightly on her snout. Flora was surprised they stayed on, since her floppy ears which draped over her shoulders couldn't possibly hold them up for her.

"Oh, you must be Flora!" The woman said, her voice high, smooth and hospitable. "I was afraid I might get your name wrong, seeing we have so many new students every year. I am Mrs. Dreemurr, your teacher, and also, what the humans call, principal?"

Flora smiled nervously. "Yep, Flora, that's me. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Dreemurr." Flora glanced over at a plaque on Mrs. Dreemurr's desk. "Your first name is Toriel?"

Mrs. Dreemurr chuckled. "What else would it be? You can call me whatever you like!" Mrs. Dreemurr let out a sigh. "I remember when my Frisk called me just to call me mother! Now look how things have changed! Anyway, my child, I'm rambling. Here is your schedule, and on the back, there is a printed map of the school so you won't get lost. I do hope you will be comfortable here, and if you need anything, just ask." Toriel smiled, and it was so genuine and warm, that Flora didn't even mind the short fangs.

"Thank you, Mrs. Dreemurr." Flora grinned and left the office. Toriel followed her, seeing as she had to get to class as well...

* * *

 **Two Hours Later...**

It was officially lunchtime, and Flora had found that she camouflaged well with the bustling clusters of children. She spent the last two hours and in-between class periods getting set up in a small locker right above that of a young Froggit, who never said anything she could comprehend. On the way to lunch, she tried her hardest not to trip over any small monsters, which proved to be more difficult than she imagined.

A Whimsun meekly tapped Flora on the shoulder. "Excuse me, human?" The voice was light, high-pitched and extremely quiet.

Flora turned to face the little flying monster, causing the creature to flinch. "Yes? Oh, you want me to move, don't you? Sorry about that, these crowds make it pretty slow to get around." Flora stepped to the right, clearing a path for the Whimsun.

The Whimsun nodded quickly. "Y-Yes, thank you, human." It flew away, keeping its head down.

"Name's Flora, by the way!" Flora waved to the Whimsun, but it never responded.

Flora sighed to herself and took a minute to rest. Although she wasn't doing anything exerting, she still enjoyed taking a few moments to retain and compute everything that's happening.

Flora felt a shiver down her spine, as though something was crawling on her. She tried to reach back and scratch the itch, or grab whatever it was, but she was distracted by a loud yell.

"Don't scratch it!" A voice from behind shouted.

"Geez, it's just an itch..." Flora mumbled to herself before turning her head to see an athletic looking, humanoid, fish creature running toward her. The creature looked feminine, and she had long, thick, fiery red curly hair that bounced with every step, along with two fins on her face. Although the poofy hair covered most of them, little horns stuck out of the back of her head. Her green scales gleamed with a tint of sweat, and her yellow, reptilian eyes had a twinkle in them from the lighting. The fish girl was wearing a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt with a faded design of an anime character with cat ears. A long tail wiggled behind her.

The fish girl finally reached Flora and felt around inside the back of her blue and yellow striped shirt, and Flora wasn't sure what made her more uncomfortable, the fact that a stranger was feeling inside her shirt or the feeling of scales on her bare skin. Occasionally, the girl's claws got caught on Flora's own long red hair.

"Sorry about that, I'm supposed to be dealing with the younger kids, and it really gets out of hand at times. Don't move, if Spidey gets hurt, Toriel will never hear the end of it." The fish girl said as she pulled her hand out of Flora's shirt. Flora turned around to see a small spider crawl out of the fish girl's hand and continue scampering to lunch.

"Oh, heh, thanks for telling me about that. I'm Flora." Flora held out her hand to shake.

"Iris, the pleasure's all mine. Say, are you new here?" The fish girl shook Flora's hand back, nearly crushing it, although Flora held back showing any signs of pain.

"Yeah, just transferred." Flora's mouth began to form a smile.

"Oh, then you must be so weirded out, but there are some pretty cool humans here, so I wouldn't worry." Iris grinned, her smile full of pointy teeth.

"Iris! Did you find Spidey?" Another goat-like person came up beside Iris, she looked very similar to Toriel, but younger, and she was dressed differently in a long, flowy, white lace skirt and a pink shirt.

"Yep! How is Jerry Junior doing?" Iris asked.

"Weird...as usual. According to rumor, he must get it from his father. Anyway, who is this?" The goat girl gestured to Flora.

"This is a new student, I was just about to tell her where to find some humans." Iris grinned proudly.

"Iris, this is about correspondence and comradery! Maybe the human would want to hang out with us!" The goat girl smiled.

"Yeah, sure, sounds fun," Flora added quietly.

"See? I'm Willow, and I see you've already met Iris." The goat girl said.

"Yes. You wouldn't happen to be related to Toriel Dreemurr?" Flora asked.

Willow laughed. "I get that a lot. Nope, not every one of my kind is related to the Dreemurrs, even though it is fun to go over to their house to babysit," Willow cleared her throat. "Hang out, with Frisk. Toriel still likes to call it babysitting."

Iris giggled quietly to herself.

"Frisk...the human ambassador for the monster community? You know them?" Flora asked.

"Yeah, most monsters do. You'll have to meet them in person sometime." Willow said.

"Well, we're wasting our lunch hour standing around like this, let's go!" Iris said eagerly as the three began walking to lunch. Iris seemed to have a habit of smiling, which made Flora feel good, it made her smile too.

It didn't take long to find an empty table in the mostly blue and grey themed cafeteria for just themselves, the three sat down and began digging around in their lunchboxes.

Flora dug around in her lunchbox to see a red Tupperware of leftover ravioli. "Are there any microwaves in the cafeteria?"

"No need." Willow lifted a paw and a blue flame appeared, floating over the palm.

"Whoa! Fire! Where's the extinguisher? How did you do that?" Flora shouted, jumping back, accidentally knocking Iris backward out of her chair.

Willow reached into the lunchbox with her other paw and grabbed the ravioli. She quickly heated it before clenching her fist, extinguishing the flame. "Fire magic, pretty cool, right?"

"Yeah-huh." Flora nodded in awe. "Can you do that Iris?" She asked as Iris recovered from her fall.

"Nope, I'm pretty sure it's just a goat thing," Iris said, scratching underneath one of the fins on her face.

Flora couldn't help but imagine Toriel using fire magic when upset, it sent a shiver down her spine. "That must come in handy." She gulped.

"Yeah, but only for cooking," Willow said.

"What can you do, Flora?" Iris asked eagerly, grabbing Flora's left shoulder and shaking her from side to side.

"Um...well I can't do any magic...but I can play tuba," Flora replied, trying to find something she was good at that might be equivalent to heating her ravioli with a swipe of her hand.

"Tuba?" Willow and Iris said at the same time.

"You should play it for us sometime!" Iris grinned.

"Yes, it would be wonderful for you to serenade us..." Willow added.

"Oh! Speaking of serenades, Mettaton is in town tonight! Have you ever heard of him?" Iris asked, shaking Flora back and forth again excitedly.

"No..." Flora replied.

"Ooh! Then you have to go with us tonight! I'm sure we could get you a ticket if he knows your one of my friends! He's pretty cool, I wonder if you can even meet him!" Iris was bouncing up and down in her seat.

"Cool isn't enough, more like fabulous!" Willow smiled.

"Wait, wait, do you know Mettaton personally, Iris?" Flora asked.

"Kind of...my mom sort of built him..." Iris replied, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

"Really? Is he...some sort of robot?" Flora asked another question.

"Yes." Iris and Flora said at the same time.

"Oh, well I can't wait to see him! I'm sure it will be an interesting concert." Flora smiled.

The other two girls grinned back. They didn't realize they were thinking the same thing, but although the school was created so that humans and monsters could correspond and live together as practically one race, most humans from foreign places flocked with the humans already present, which left the newly resurfaced monsters with a small circle of friends to choose from. Although Flora seemed reluctant of them, Willow and Iris had a feeling that the three of them would be friends for a long time...

* * *

 **So instead of sticking to one fandom...no...I decided to try contaminating another one of my fandoms with my writing...yay.**

 **After the very emotional ending of my Undertale Pacifist run, I thought it would be fun to write about monsters and humans living together, preferably at Toriel's school. I may not have this evolve into an actual story, I may keep it as a oneshot or series of oneshots. Depends on what you guys think and if I get any more ideas.**

 **Sooooo..some fun facts about the characters, here we go.**

 **Flora: A young teenage human who has never really had any contact with monsters, so transferring to this school is a bit of a culture shock. Usually very quiet and introverted, encountering weird surroundings seems to make her brain want to go into sensory overload more often. Don't worry, though, Iris and Willow are here to help!**

 **Iris: Fictional daughter of Alphys and Undyne...how the heck she came into existence, well, I'll leave that to your imagination. She is the ultimate fish hybrid of nerd and jock, her hobbies include watching anime, challenges of strength against other monsters (Aaron, I'm looking in your direction) whilst Mama Undyne watches proudly, or at least, she tries, she usually is pretty distracted by poor Alphys having a heart attack while her baby is suplexing boulders to threaten other monsters. She also enjoys cooking with her moms and their friends, training with Undyne, and hanging out with Willow. (Dang, I wrote a lot about Iris.)**

 **Willow: Iris's goat best friend, and they find common ground over many things...including being huge dorks. Willow is a sap for things like harlequin romance novels and YA novels, she also has a secret love for anything ballet even though on a scale of flexibility she is an uncooked spaghetti noodle. She is one of the kinds of people who volunteers for pretty much everything, whether it be building houses for resurfacing monsters or helping with a pep rally for all sorts of causes, Willow works for no cost, for all the wealth she receives just by helping someone. Willow and Iris also work in the Keep Track of Kids Club, originally named by Asgore, later changed to the Kid Corps by (The Great) Papyrus.**

 **Well, that's my attempt at a decent oneshot. Reviews are definitely encouraged, and I would like to know if you guys are interested to see more!**

 **(This is a lot of headcanons...Geez...)**


	2. Heartache

The Dreemurr family was a strange looking family on the outside, but no matter how weird it looked, it was full of love. Broken pieces of many stories somehow combined and were pieced together with a mutual understanding and bond that only a family like that could share. Toriel, being the kindhearted soul she is, had adopted another monster child named Quinn who quickly fit into the family and forged an especially strong bond with young Frisk, the human she had adopted only a few years back.

* * *

"Another great meal, Tori," Asgore said, giving an almost apologetic smile to his wife, Toriel who sat across the table.

Toriel, not as upset with Asgore as she was when they first moved to the surface, accepted his compliment. This dinner, of snail stir fry and broccoli, was especially quiet. Even the two children, Frisk and Quinn, were eating in silence.

Asgore scrapped the last cluster of rice out of his beard and ate it before getting up to wash his dish. Frisk and Quinn's eyes followed his movements, then looked to Toriel.

"Are you two done?" Toriel asked warmly. "You've been awfully quiet."

"Yeah. I'm finished, at least." Frisk grinned and got up.

"What about you, Asriel?" Toriel asked before catching herself. "Um, Quinn. Quinn, are you finished? I need to get started on these dishes."

Quinn tilted his head so that his floppy white goat ears dangled. Quinn always did look similar to Toriel and Asgore's original biological son, Asriel, except Quinn had a black patch on his right ear and his left paw was black. Since Quinn was new to the family, he had no idea who this Asriel was, or how almost taboo the topic of him was.

"Who's Asriel?" Quinn asked.

Asgore turned to Toriel and smiled awkwardly. "I'll be in the living room." He speed-walked out of the kitchen.

Toriel shot a glare at Asgore, then turned back to Quinn. Frisk had already left to go upstairs to the room they and Quinn shared. "He's no one, just someone we used to know. Now, head upstairs, alright? I doubt there will be anything interesting happening down here." It was Toriel's turn to apologetically smile as Quinn lightly nodded and went upstairs, confused, yet curious.

Toriel let out an exasperated, yet relieved sigh as she turned back to the kitchen sink to work on cleaning the dishes. Asgore peeked over the back of the couch in the adjacent living room. "We're going to have to explain it to him, eventually," He said.

Toriel sighed once more. "I know...just not now. It's been so long...you'd think I wouldn't make a mistake like that again."

Asgore frowned. "I miss him too...and whenever I look at Quinn, I think of how we let those children slip through our grasps...But we have to forget, finally, not forget, but move on, if not for our sake, but for the sake of Frisk and Quinn."

Toriel's eyes widened. "I guess...heh, leave it to you to be profound." She lightly smiled and let out a mix of a chuckle and a sigh.

* * *

It was midnight at the Dreemurr house, Toriel and Asgore were asleep in their separate rooms, and Frisk was sleeping soundly as well up in the small room that they and Quinn shared. Across from Frisk's bed, which had a colorful quilt with different colored hearts on it spread over the lump of Frisk's body, was Quinn and his bed, where he slept under a quilt with smiling snail designs embroidered on. Toriel made the quilts for them not too long ago, and they treasured them, even though most children their age would have grown out of that stage. Quinn couldn't quite fall asleep...he was the kind to allow curiosity to rule his mind...and he just wanted to know who this Asriel was. Was it a child they had and lost? If so, what happened? Is that why mother and father are so...on edge?

Quinn turned to face Frisk's bed. "Frisk? Are you awake?" He whispered.

Frisk opened their eyes and rolled over to see Quinn. "Yeah?" They responded with a yawn.

"Do you know about Asriel?" Quinn asked.

"I doubt I should tell you, if I did know...you'd probably go to Mom with more questions." Frisk rubbed their eyes.

"I would not!" Quinn whispered shouted. "Come on, I just want to know," He begged.

"Oh...alright." Frisk sat up on their bed, and Quinn mirrored their actions. "Asriel was Mom and Dad's original child. At the time, they also had another adopted human, supposedly named Chara. The human child fell ill and told Asriel that they wanted to see the golden flowers of their village one last time, so Asriel brought the human up to its village one last time before it died. Out of fear and lack of understanding, the humans attacked Asriel, and he died as well, collapsing in the golden flowers of the Underground garden. Heartbroken and enraged, Dad planned to kill and take the souls of every human who fell into the Underground, also knowing that he needed a certain number of human souls to break the barrier. That's why Mom ran away, she couldn't stand all those children getting killed... But there's one thing you, or they, may not know or expect..."

"W-wow..." Quinn said breathlessly. "What's the thing I don't expect?"

"Asriel's kind of...still around. Kind of." Frisk replied.

"What do you mean, kind of?" Quinn tilted his head quizzically.

"I don't know exactly what happened, but I guess he lost his soul when he died like everyone does and his essence was spread on the golden flowers of Dad's garden... but Dr. Alphys brought him back to life." Frisk began to explain.

"Alphys? What did she do?" Quinn interrupted.

"Dad asked her to study the nature of souls...so she brought him back to life through imbalanced levels of determination except in the form of a soulless...flower. He was the first byproduct of her experiments. He's still there, but not really himself. I had to leave him in the underground...he chose not to follow me." Frisk finished.

"Would it make Mom and Dad happy if he was still alive?" Quinn asked.

"Probably, a lot wouldn't have happened if Asriel was still alive." Frisk shrugged, not knowing what they were doing.

Quinn knew then what he had to do. Maybe it was some sort of impulsive decision based off of all these strange feelings, but he knew that if he brought Asriel back, then maybe his mother and father would be happy again. Maybe the bad blood between them could be forgiven if they had their own son back? Quinn knew that no matter what, his presence couldn't top that of Asriel's, so he wanted to finally break the barrier that kept his parents from truly loving each other again...he needed some sort of special glue to do it. Sometimes glue is not an object, but a person.

"That's all I wanted to know," Quinn said.

"Really? I figured you'd ask more questions..." Frisk replied. "If you have more, I wrote it all down...I wanted to tell Mom and Dad about it someday, but for now, I have it hidden somewhere."

"Where is it?" Quinn asked.

"You can't tell anyone where it is, okay? Promise?" Frisk asked, their shoulders tensed with worry. They were told to take care of Toriel and Asgore by Flowey, and if they read the memoir Frisk wrote about him too soon...they could hurt themselves even more...which would break Frisk's promise.

"I promise," Quinn replied.

"Okay, it's hidden underneath my bed," Frisk said.

Quinn chortled. "So secret," He added sarcastically.

"Hey! Mom never looks there, and it's too obvious to actually be considered a real hiding place." Frisk explained.

"Oooh." Quinn pointed at Frisk and nodded understandingly.

"But yeah, I wouldn't worry too much about this anymore, okay?" Frisk smiled.

"Yeah. Good night, Frisk, love you." Quinn smiled back before laying back down. The two went back under their quilts again...

* * *

But for some reason...he refused to let that be it.

Quinn had to go and find Asriel...somehow, he had to bring Asriel back...for his mother and father. It was his destiny, he thought.

Quinn got out of bed and began to silently pack his small brown canvas knapsack of supplies for his journey. These supplies included some changes of clothes, set to match the climates of Snowdin, Waterfall, and Hotland, and the quilt that Toriel made for him. He figured it would be cold in the Underground, and scary too, so he needed a relic of home. After packing, he wrote a note and left it on his bed.

 _Dear Frisk,_

 _This may seem rather insane, but I have left to go back to the Underground. I know now why things haven't been the best between Mom and Dad since...well, even before I came. If the presence of their son is enough to finally glue this family together, once and for all, then I know what I must do._

 _I'm going to try to bring our brother, Asriel back. You said he was soulless, right? In that case, I will make a transfer, I'll give up my soul to him, so then he can come back and grow up with you, instead of me. This journey and this whole thing is rather enigmatic to me, and it may be to you as well, but I assure you this is for the greater good...Mom and Dad will have their child back, and you get to have a new best friend._

 _I'll see you soon...I think. By the way, I borrowed your book, the title is definitely mysterious, you sure are creative._

 _Your brother,_

 _Quinn Dreemurr_

He snuck over to Frisk's bed and stuck his paw underneath it, eventually feeling the dusty leather cover of a rather thick book. He pulled it out and got away from the bed as quickly and as quietly as possible. Quinn blew the dust off of the book, which looked rather old. The title read,

 _ **A Prince of Blossoms: And Other Underground Experiences**_

Quinn knew that Frisk had spent time in the Underground before the barrier was broken, but he had no idea that they had made a journal about it, let alone recorded their experiences in a notebook so ancient-looking. Quinn opened up the journal to a random page which apparently was about their experience with Mettaton EX, and it featured a detailed sketch of him...legs and all. Quinn shuddered and flipped to another page about the Amalgamates in Dr. Alphys' lab...which both looked and sounded creepy. Suddenly, a yawn came from Frisk's bed when Quinn realized that he needed to hurry. He stuffed the book in his knapsack and closed it, then walked into the kitchen to grab a knife. The blade glinted although there was no light before Quinn put it in his bag too, wrapping it in a towel to avoid its blade from slicing through his belongings.

This was it...Quinn looked back at the interior of his home before leaving, especially taking one last glance at his parents' bedrooms, which were dead quiet. Not wanting to suddenly get sentimental, Quinn slipped through the door quietly and ran off into the forest, soon reaching the ominously looming Mt. Ebott...

* * *

Quinn leaped into the crater of Mt. Ebott, hurting himself in the process. However, he knew he would be able to heal over time. It took him only a few seconds to realize that he landed on a bed of golden flowers.

"Golden flowers!" Quinn whispered breathlessly as he rummaged through them. "Frisk said that he was a flower...he couldn't have moved from his spot, could he? Asriel! I have a Soul for you!"

But nobody came.

Quinn set his knapsack down and pulled out the journal. Frisk had even put a Table of Contents in their book.

 _Oh Frisk, even in their own journal they think about convenience for others._ He mused.

Quinn flipped to the page where Asriel's story started and began reading. He knew that was the only place to start for the night, and it wasn't until a breeze caused him to flip to the page about the Ruins and Frisk's meeting with mother Toriel that he decided to walk to them. Before doing so, he picked up a relic, a golden flower from the garden, and put it behind his ear like a barrette. He always liked girly things like that, but he never told Frisk or his parents. Quinn pulled the knife out to brave the walk ahead, but he managed to catch his reflection in the blade. Quinn preened and turned his head to showcase the flower.

"Hmm, I think it's a great look," Quinn said to himself as he walked towards the Ruins. Frisk drew a map based on memory, and it proved to work well. He entered the Ruins, and wondered why there were rose petals littered in the strangest places, but kept walking until he eventually found Toriel's previous home. The door creaked open, and the lights were off.

Quinn found a light switch through feeling the walls and saw the interior of the house, which didn't look all that different from his home on the surface. He could only imagine what life was here...He always thought that Toriel and Asgore were lovers from start to finish, so he figured that they and Asriel spent lots of time in the quaint, now abandoned home. Quinn wandered through the hallways until he stumbled upon what Frisk said was the "room of their own." Surprisingly exhausted, knowing that his adventure has just begun, he dropped his knapsack and slipped into the bed in the right corner without even looking around. The bed was cold, like the rest of the room, but it wasn't until he realized what he brought with him.

The quilt.

It was as though the blanket was a hug from Toriel herself, but it soothed Quinn in his new surroundings...

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **Several years later...**

"Hey, Dreemurr!" Iris yelled from across the gym to a tall goat boy, who perked up at their last name along with their sibling, Frisk. The two were standing around with the rest of the "boys", who were finished with warmups.

Frisk made an expression that seemed to ask. "Who, me?"

"Not you, Frisk, Quinn!" Iris grinned a fang-filled smile, just like that of her mother Undyne, who was the P.E teacher.

Quinn sauntered over to Iris in a calm manner. It had been a long time since their first venture into the Underground and a lot had changed. They had grown to be taller than Mother Toriel and up to the chin of Father Asgore. Over the years, they had settled into the identity "Genderfluid" and preferred new pronouns. Since they had waxed strong because of their frequent adventures in the Underground, Iris loved picking fights with them, despite they and Frisk's pacifist nature. They were wearing the usual black basketball shorts and a worn Mettaton shirt from many years of concert-going with their friends. Horns had grown, at this point the length of Toriel's, and their face looked like that of their parents rather than a young Asriel that Flora had read about.

"Who's he?" Flora asked, whispering to Willow. She was wearing her gym getup of a pink tank top and the only pair of athletic wear she had, an old pair of yellow volleyball spandex that gripped her waist like a choking hug.

"Oh yeah, those two are Frisk and Quinn Dreemurr. Iris always tries to challenge them, and since our first unit is fencing, I guess she may finally have a chance." Willow whispered back, already sweating through her T-shirt from warmups.

"Oooh yes, Quinn and Frisk won't know what hit 'em!" Iris said eagerly, rubbing her hands together mischievously.

"Alright class, I'm sure you can tell by the mat in the center of the gym that our first unit is swordplay...my treat. Now, since we went over this last year, I'm sure none of you are braindead enough to have forgotten the rules." Undyne walked out onto the mat, spear in hand, and the class stood to attention. The fish woman's tone started out perky, but slowly drifted into drill sergeant territory. In fact, she was so intimidating, it was no surprise that she managed to get a full-size gym despite low budgets.

"I wonder who she's going to pick first...?" Flora whispered.

"Oh, you'll know who she picks first," Iris said.

Undyne set her spear down and wielded two swords from what seemed like thin air. She threw them into the crowd as everyone cleared out of the way. It revealed that it was a Snowdrake and Monster Kid, a short, yellow monster with no arms who Flora saw hanging out with Frisk and Quinn earlier in the class.

"This'll be a cinch!" The Snowdrake said cockily as he strutted up to the mat, although he struggled to hold the sword in his wings.

"Ah, come on, Undyne! Do you expect me to hold this thing in my mouth?" Monster Kid complained while his mouth was full.

"Ask me this, how will you ever grow stronger if you don't face weakness?" Undyne asked, pointing her spear in the direction of Monster Kid.

"Undyne, I..." Monster Kid stuttered.

"No buts, I'm right and you know it. Now get up here and fight!" Undyne shouted.

"Come on, you can do it!" Flora saw Frisk cheering Monster Kid on, Quinn and even Willow joined in.

Flora turned to Willow questioningly.

"What? He's my friend!" Willow said, shrugging.

After watching the rather fumble-y fight between the Snowdrake and Monster Kid, the Snowdrake was victorious, strutting off the mat squawking cheerfully. As for Monster Kid, Frisk helped him up and off the mat.

"Alright, who's next? Man, I'm fired up, how about you guys?" Undyne was always upbeat when it meant a good old fashioned fight.

The groggy students groaned in response.

Undyne randomly threw out two swords, and it was revealed that Quinn was chosen to go next. However, the second blade landed right in between Iris and Flora.

"Alright! Thanks, mom!" Iris smiled as she picked up the sword and strode up to the mat only to be stopped by Undyne.

"Let's let the human try, you can have at them when we do brackets," Undyne said.

"Aw, come on." Iris handed the sword to Flora. "Here, take it."

"Wait, what? I don't even know how to do this! Can Iris fight for me? Or maybe...don't you have to teach me first?" Flora stuttered, touching the blade of the sword a little bit too cautiously.

"I believe in learning on the job," Undyne grinned.

"Is that even legal?" Flora asked.

"I don't know, never cared to care," Undyne replied.

"I'll go easy on you, I promise," Quinn added, their smile tranquil and genuine.

Flora, already too intimidated by both Undyne and Quinn, walked back up to the mat. She maneuvered the sword so that she held the handle tightly, secretly pretending to be one of her favorite manga heroines. She hated herself for being so dramatic, I mean, her opponent would never hurt her, right?

"Do me a favor, and don't go easy on them," Iris whispered to Flora from the sidelines.

"I thought you platonically liked Quinn?" Willow asked, standing next to Iris.

"I do, but I also want to see them _platonically_ lose." Iris slammed her fist into her palm. "It's called play-fighting...or should I say, asserting your dominance."

"Oh..." Willow said quietly.

"Go!" Undyne shouted and stepped back from the mat. Quinn and Flora both stood still.

"Alright, Flora, is it? Heh, that reminds me of someone... I've seen you reading some of those mangas, so for now just pretend this is a really light manga swordfight." Quinn began to explain.

"Well, I don't want to stab you or anything..." Flora replied.

"It's not called stabbing, it's called touching. Now just block my simple attacks." Quinn said.

"Oh...well, prepare for the touching of your life!" Flora said triumphantly, trying to sound confident.

Willow chortled at that statement louder than she meant to. She covered her mouth with her paw.

Quinn dove in with a thrust and Flora parried it off of instinct, protecting her chest from Quinn's blade. Quinn nodded in approval before getting caught off guard by a sudden attack by Flora, who swung her sword about like a maniac with her eyes closed.

"Whoa, and I was going easy on _you_!" Quinn stepped back.

"At this rate, we may have another _Chara_ on our hands." The Snowdrake from earlier whispered jokingly into Frisk's ear. "She is _human_ after all." He added. Frisk elbowed the Snowdrake, not even turning to face him.

Flora stopped waving the sword around. "Wait, should I stop? Did I hurt you?"

"No, no, I just figured you would want to learn a much more...methodic way." Quinn chuckled.

"I think we're safe." Another monster murmured to the Snowdrake behind Frisk's back.

"Ngah! Alright! The human can take lessons later, we really have to speed this up. I only have an hour with you, ya know!" Undyne's loud, boisterous voice pierced through the children's noise.

After Flora and Quinn got off, next was Willow and Iris. Surprisingly, they were a fair match. Iris had muscle, skill, and countless hours of training experiences with her mother Undyne, Papyrus, and Asgore. Willow, however, had her size, which both worked to her advantage and disadvantage. To turn up the heat in the fight, Undyne allowed fire magic in order to challenge her daughter, but Willow went light on her friend. The rest of gym class was a blur, mostly because Flora didn't know anyone else. Willow and Iris seemed to know everyone, listing off their names and short biographies by heart.

"Most of these monsters, I hear, have tickets to that concert. You can talk to them there if we don't see them the rest of the day." Willow said to Flora hospitably.

"I hope we don't run into..." Iris groaned before getting interrupted.

"I doubt it, besides, she's probably too busy with her father's show. I don't get you sometimes, Iris, us three used to hang out all the time when we were younger!" Willow said.

"Who are you talking about?" Flora asked.

"Mettaton's daughter, as all, Narcissus...I guess Papyrus is one of those parents who gives their children fancy word names. She mostly just goes on her father's tours...but we used to hang out all the time." Willow explained.

"She's a little...well, let's just say Papyrus picked a really fitting name," Iris added.

"Oh...She sounds...nice? I guess we'll see, but then again, you guys could just be imagining things. I prefer to keep an open mind." Flora said.

"You're right, we shouldn't let our anxiety ruin our time. Did you hear that, Iris?" Willow rustled Iris' hair, Iris was staring off into space.

"Yeah...yeah! We're stronger than that, right?" Iris said, giving a fang-filled smile as she flexed one of her arms.

"Of course, we are! In fact, I'm not even remotely worried!" Willow added although inside she was always intimidated by Narcissus.

"Great! Now tell me more about...everything! Mettaton, Papyrus, Narcissus, Frisk, Undyne, Quinn...Tell me all about them!" Flora said eagerly.

Iris and Willow looked at each other and smiled, then turned back to Flora. "Now that, is a long story..." Willow said...

* * *

 **URGH THAT ENDING TURNED OUT SO POORLY SORRY**

 **Welp, I tried.**

 **Since the fabulous Mettaton concert is next I might as well give some hints. A fan/friend of mine told me their ideas for a Papyton NextGen, and I figured she would be great for the dynamic. However, I may expand on their ideas and make the character my own in lots and lots of ways...I have so many plans.**

 **Oh my stars, I forgot to mention! On Friday Night, I started, and completed an Undertale Genocide Route! It took forever...hours and hours of crying, thinking about my life, and of course, murder. I was always fascinated with the whole Flowey/Asriel/Chara thing, and Quinn most definitely shares that same interest. I always wanted to have Quinn Dreemurr in my story, and I wasn't sure when I'd introduce them, well, here they are!**

 **Some fun facts about Quinn:**

 **Quinn Dreemurr (They/Them), genderfluid, adopted goat child of Toriel and Asgore. They showed up kind of too soon to the family, especially since Tori and Gorey were busy rebuilding their relationship after the whole Asriel thing. Curious and feeling a burden to make their family happy, Quinn ran off into the Underground and stayed there for many days searching for Flowey...only to be found by a search party led by Frisk with Undyne and Toriel later. However, Quinn is still very adventurous and likes to explore the Underground by themselves.**

 **Now a teenager, Quinn spends their time with Frisk and the friends they spent their childhood with. These include Monster Kid, Willow, Iris, and Narcissus. They also intern with Dr. Alphys. During their time in the Underground, Quinn wanted to transfer their soul to Asriel, and even after Frisk found them, they were still fascinated with the nature of souls. Every day after school Quinn goes to Alphys' lab, where they take care of hostile Amalgamates and observe them, as well as work on other projects like building Narcissus' much-desired robot body. However sciencey they are, they still have a thing with flowers...think of it like a trigger. (Poor kid has to take Botany in order to move up and be taught by Alphys full time.) Since the gym class is divided into boys and girls for warmups and testing, Quinn just goes to the side they feel fits best at the moment. (Their pronouns in the flashback are he/him (Their biological sex), but they change as they grow older.)**

 **Since the school teaches monster history as well as human history, some monsters refer to humans as "Future Charas", (Ever since Sans educated them on some timelines, yeesh), which is considered a stereotypical/racist comment.**

 **Sorry for the rather arbitrary oneshot, but I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **What does everyone think of Quinn, and what do you speculate from the upcoming character, Narcissus?**

 **(Geez I need to get out of this habit of long author notes)**


	3. The Concert

***I'd get ready, this experience really takes a MettaTON of words. *wink***

 ***SANS! YOU BUFFOON! HOW DARE YOU USE MY HUBBY'S NAME IN ONE OF YOUR DISASTEROUS PUNS! COME SAY IT TO HIS FACE!**

 ***Welp, enjoy the story!**

* * *

Flora could hear the sounds of music at least a mile away. She almost felt bad for the quiet, dark houses lining the streets to the stadium, she could only imagine the residents desperately trying to sleep. The large stadium in the distance flashed with rainbow lights so bright they could probably be seen from space. Flora didn't need GPS that night, she just needed to follow the light. Approaching the stadium was like driving toward a purple sun, and stopping there. The parking lot was packed, so it took her several minutes to park. After finding a place that was a long distance from the actual stadium, Flora got out, locked her car, and began to walk to the stadium. Once there, it took about ten minutes to go through security, which Flora found odd. _If he's a robot, why should he worry about getting killed?_ She thought to herself. The amphitheater was laid out different than usual. The seats were cleared so that the thousands of monsters could dance and do whatever they wanted on the ground while seeing this Mettaton. She called to her friends, "Willow? Iris?"

"Are ya looking for a fish broad and a goat chick?" A voice with a Bronx accent asked behind her. Flora whirled around to see a short, big-boned skeleton with a dimpled smile on his face. He sported an unzipped steel blue hoodie with a white tee-shirt peeking underneath, black shorts with white stripes and white tennis shoes. Flora couldn't quite pinpoint the brand on any of these clothing items, but after a few seconds of scanning, she figured she didn't need to.

"Yeah, have you seen them?" Flora asked.

"They're near the front with Frisk and Quinn, waiting for you." The skeleton said.

"Okay!" Flora ran off into the crowd, but before disappearing completely, she turned back to say, "Oh yeah, thank you-" The skeleton was gone. "Sir? Well then, I guess I just have to find the others now."

Flora weaved through the crowd of (mostly) monsters of diverse appearances, her mind overwhelmed by the flashing multicolored lights, blaring muzak (Although it sounded too fabulous to be just muzak) and the chatter of the crowd, who didn't seem to notice her. Only a few monsters acknowledged her presence with murmurs just loud enough for her to hear.

"Oh boy, here comes the human."

"Dang, she has legs almost as smooth as Mettaton's!"

"Don't tell him, though."

"We know better now not to hide in Mt. Ebott when the human shows up."

Flora instantly felt uncomfortable at these comments, but her knowledge of the history of humans and monsters seemed to push it aside. Instead of thinking or retaliating at the seemingly racist comments, Flora thought,

 _I deserve it. It was my kind that hurt them for so long._

As she inched her way to the front, she accidentally jostled several monsters, which didn't help their impression of her. She eventually made it to the front, the special group of monsters who had made it there first. Flora wasn't afraid to shove her way to her friends, she just felt bad afterward. Talking among themselves was Iris, Willow, Quinn, Frisk, and a strange looking combination of an alligator and a cat who looked like she might just faint if she had to wait any longer.

"Hey, guys," Flora said meekly.

Willow and Iris turned abruptly around to show off their flashy Mettaton T-shirts. Willow's shirt was black with a design of Mettaton waving cheerfully with one hand and holding a microphone in the other, all of which drawn in hot pink sequins, some of which have fallen off from years of wearing. Along with the shirt, Willow wore ripped, grass stained jeans and she allowed her large, bear-like feet to remain bare. Iris, on the other hand, looked like the monster version of the typical Coachella attendant. Short, high-waisted cutoff denim shorts with chibi hearts painted on, her scarlet hair in its untamed, Afro form and her hot pink Mettaton T-shirt cropped with fringes along the bottom that danced with every movement. Flora felt underdressed in her Attack on Titan shirt, grey sweatpants, and black TOMS.

"You made it!" Willow shouted, smiling.

"See? I told you she wouldn't ditch us." Iris playfully nudged Willow.

"So, when does it start?" Flora asked, having to yell over the music, which seemingly got louder the longer she stood there.

Iris pulled out her phone and checked it. "Just a few minutes. We can hang out, introduce ourselves until then."

Willow turned and tugged on Frisk's shirt, which matched Iris'. They turned to face Flora, their short, brown hair whipping with each movement, and flashed a patient smile at her. They held out their hand to shake.

"Hey, I'm Frisk." They said. Everything about them seemed humble, they acted like they didn't want to talk about themselves at all, and that Flora was the famous one, not Frisk. Flora took Frisk's hand and shook it, she almost didn't want to let go. It was warm, despite the cool fall air and their grasp was sincere.

"I'm Flora, the one who sucked at sword fighting earlier today," Flora said as she shook Frisk's hand.

Frisk laughed. "You weren't that bad."

A shrill scream cut through the conversation. "It's starting! IT'S STARTING!" It was the alligator-cat girl, squealing at the top of her lungs as a new techno track replaced the muzak and fog filled the room and the stage. The lights seemed to change too, and the bass on this music was more thundering than ever.

"Gracing Mt. Ebott with his presence, here we have, the indescribable, the irreplaceable, not to mention, _irresistible_...METTATON!" A voice from thin air seemed to introduce probably the simplest, yet most complex looking robot that Flora had ever seen in real life. She figured the Terminator and a few other robots would remain in her top three coolest looking robots she had ever seen. After the pretentious introduction, Mettaton rolled out onto the stage on the one wheel propping his rectangular, flashing body upright. Just like on the T-shirts and literally EVERY poster, he looked the same, wearing white gloves, waving cheerfully, and holding a microphone.

 _This is him?_ Flora thought to herself, involuntarily wrinkling her nose. She stared in confusion before realizing that her reaction was like that of every protagonist in Wattpad One Direction fanfiction. She knew how the stories went, main character hates celebrity, the two meet over strange circumstances, and they fall in love with each other because the protagonist doesn't treat the celebrity like a celebrity. Yeah, she got it, and she wanted nothing to do with it, so she pretended to be interested in avoiding being cliche.

"Ooh yes! Good evening, everybody!" Mettaton said, enunciating in a voice that sounded fake in Flora's opinion. The crowd cheered back. "Who's ready to make some magical memories tonight!" He pronounced every syllable, and the crowd yelled back to him, "We are!" Flora always wondered why performers and the audience communicated like that, but her friends seemed to follow along with it, so Flora dismissed her thoughts. After the long, narcissistic greetings, Mettaton went straight to stand-up comedy, which seemed to last forever. During the comedy, Willow and Iris took a few moments to talk to Flora.

"We should take this time to go see Narcissus! She's probably backstage, and this isn't exactly the best part...so, we could sneak backstage." Willow suggested.

"Ugh, why do you want to see her so bad?" Iris groaned.

"I wanted Flora to meet her! Besides, it's been a while, and I figured you'd want to play catch-up." Willow said.

"She sounds interesting, to say the least," Flora added.

"See?" Willow gestured to Flora with her paw as though presenting evidence.

"I don't want to play catch-up, not after what she did to us." Iris crossed her arms and turned, shutting away the conversation.

"Well, we're going anyway. Frisk told me that you should never give up on people, now matter how much they hurt you." Willow grabbed Iris and Flora tightly by their wrists and dragged them through the crowd until they approached a pink painted door that said:

 _ **Employees Only**_

"They forgot to include friends in their sign!" Willow said, smiling wide before opening the door and walking up the stairs leading to the main backstage area. Flora was surprised there was no security here but then assumed that Mettaton figured that offenders wouldn't be able to get past the entrance security to begin with. Iris seemed annoyed, and Flora wondered what Narcissus did to them, but more importantly, what did she look like? Her thoughts were interrupted by a delighted gasp.

"Narcissus!" Willow shouted happily.

Floating frantically around backstage was a hot pink monster that reminded Flora of a ghost from Pacman, at least, that's was how she was shaped. Her body seemed to be made of jelly, like a jellyfish, and floating around in that translucent mass was bones, bones that happened to have spawned there but never found much use, so they just floated inside of her. A bright yellow bow sat perfectly in the center of her head, not one part of the ribbon bent or worn. Narcissus seemed to busy chattering commands into the Bluetooth that she was wearing, although she didn't have ears.

"Backup dancers for Performance No. 1, get ready!"

"Sheryl, get Burgerpants off the stage or so help me I will play Daddy's soundtrack on repeat the next morning! ...I don't care where he goes, as long as you get him off the gosh-darned stage! We don't need him to become a meme and take Daddy's spotlight!"

"Oh, and Jerry, I'm feeling parched, can you drive over to Starbucks and pick up a latte? You know, my favorite kind. Oh, and stop by the mall and pick up Beyonce's new album, apparently it's trending." She looked down at her phone, which levitated in front of her and scrolled on its own.

"Ugh, I just want perfection and absolute control at all times, is that too much to ask? ...No one asked you, Sheryl!" Narcissus continued to bark commands back and forth to multiple staff members at once, all through the same Bluetooth.

"She seems busy, let's go." Iris turned smoothly on her heels before Willow grabbed her by her shirt.

"Nonsense!" Willow seemed to be in a constant state of denial. "Narcissus!" She called, louder than the last time. Narcissus finally acknowledged the three girls and floated over to them with just as much charisma as Mettaton.

"Could it be? No, it can't! Willow and Iris, how lovely of you to stop by!" Flora had never seen such a theatrical introduction. "What has it been? Three years? I heartily apologize for not visiting, you see, I've been busy going with Daddy on his tours, learning the tricks of the trade. Is that cutie Quinn in the audience? Tell him to hurry up on that body of mine, I want to join my father on the stage instead of working back here with these idiots."

"Oh, it's fine," Willow smiled.

"Quinn and Mom are working as fast as they can, but a few months ago there was an issue with Amalgamates, so it has been hard to juggle," Iris explained.

"Amalgamates! I, the great Narcissus, should be first on the list!" Narcissus complained, rolling her R's in the words 'great' and 'Narcissus'.

"I can't speak with any certainty, but I'll let them know that," Iris said quietly.

"You better! Anyway, enough about them, how's you, Iris?" Narcissus seemed to trap Iris in some invisible forcefield and pull her close, close enough for her to whisper just loud enough for Willow and Flora to hear. "I see you're still hanging out with that heifer of a monster, Willow. I mean, do you know what's she's eating these days? I know someone can't get fat off of your mother's cooking." Narcissus laughed out loud. Her laugh sounded more like a cackle, "Nyeh heh heh! She can't even do flambe right! Anyway, we need to schedule a meet-up sometime, just you and me. Sure, and take along Willow too, but it's not required."

Iris chuckled nervously. "Yep, will do." She was too scared to defend herself against Narcissus' accidental, yet purposeful attacks. To be fair, Narcissus' father, Mettaton, still had that feature meant to kill humans, and he was always protective of his daughter.

Narcissus let go of Iris suddenly and began to fly quickly around Flora. "A human? You brought me a human? Aw, you shouldn't have! My daddies would love to meet this one, but you know Mettaton is busy on stage and Papyrus is getting pampered for the cooking presentation near the end."

Flora, already nervous of what Narcissus thought of her, blurted out louder than she meant to. "KONICHIWA! I'm FLORA-CHAN, THE BASEMENT-DWELLING TROGLODYTE!" She covered her mouth in shock. That introduction rolled around in her head in an attempt to make her smile for the meeting instead of grapple with social anxiety the whole time...who knew it would slip out as her first impression?

Narcissus burst out laughing, and Iris and Willow couldn't help join in. "You're a riot! Pleasure to meet you! I, dear human, am the great Narcissus, at your service."

"Nice to meet you," Flora said meekly.

Narcissus smiled. "I'd love to talk more, but I have a crew of idiots to keep track of. I'll text you later, Iris...and the rest of you..." She waved Willow and Flora off with a weak flick of her wrist, as though sending lesser beings or servants away.

"I think that went well," Willow said, denying what Narcissus whispered to Iris a few minutes ago.

"Right, yeah, I bet Frisk, Quinn, and Patty are waiting for us," Iris said just as a frantic pair of female dogs rolled a giant fog machine passed them.

"We got it, Mettaton-sama!" They said in unison as they rolled it.

The three girls exited the backstage area and walked back to find Frisk, Quinn, and the alligator-cat creature, who must've been Patty, in the same place they were before. Mettaton was going through his first musical number, singing at the top of his lungs to try and overpower a ghost DJ and a mermaid-looking creature behind him, trying their best to accompany him. Mettaton's voice...well, Flora had no comment. Since he was a robot, it naturally sounded autotuned, but hey, it was better than some of the other people she's heard. Frisk was watching Mettaton intently, shaking their hips to the beat. Quinn looked up at the performance almost wistfully, like they were enjoying it while it lasted, and Patty seemed even worse now that Mettaton was on the stage. She was squealing louder than before, which didn't seem physically possible at the time. Willow and Iris went back to watching as well.

"Now...the moment you've been waiting for...OOH YES, NOW'S THE TIME!" The number ended and Mettaton spoke loudly into the microphone.

 _The microphone is meant to enhance your speech, so there's no need to yell._ Flora thought.

Patty finally fainted from excitement but quickly recovered and practically climbed on the stage to get a better look. Fog blanketed the stage as the ghost DJ played an electric guitar track that was meant to build anticipation. Stepping out of the fog was a completely different person, it made Flora's eyes widen so that a person might be able to see the whites of her eyes from a mile away, and she had never felt her jaw drop that quickly before. Mettaton had completely changed into a gorgeous, humanoid robot. His face was a metallic grey with chiseled features, including a triangular nose and a pearly, perfect smile. His chest seemed to be where the main engine was, which was now pink with flared shoulder pads built in. Flora finally knew what the monsters were talking about earlier when her eyes moved to Mettaton's legs. They were long, muscular, smooth, every curve highlighted because of the tight, black leggings and fluorescent pink, high heeled boots he was wearing. He ran his fingers through his fluffy black hair, then looked down at the audience. "Ooh yes." He groaned seductively, much to the delight of Patty. The rest of the crowd erupted in applause.

Iris looked over at Flora's surprised reaction and bust out laughing. "Your face is priceless!"

The new and improved Mettaton began rambling again, going on and on about himself and his looks and to follow him on every social media site imaginable in order to see more of his perfect face. At that moment, Flora scrolled through his Instagram only to find the 3,700 selfies he took even during the most mundane of tasks. Mettaton, who is at the moment called Mettaton EX, blew through three musical numbers in six minutes before slamming his heel on the stage, grabbing everyone's attention. "Everybody! For my final act of the night, I hope you're hungry! I'm proud to present my guest for tonight, the culinary legend, the great Papyrus!" Mettaton rolled his R's for the words 'great' and 'Papyrus', and Flora now knew where his daughter got it from. Flora was also surprised that Mettaton was willing to share the spotlight. The same dogs that were seen rolling the fog machine quickly set up a makeshift kitchen, frantically plugged in all the appliances, and scurried off of the stage.

Shortly after, a figure quickly slid out from behind the rolled back curtains on roller skates. It was a tall skeleton, much like the one Flora saw earlier. These skeletons didn't look anatomically correct, which confused Flora, but she was more drawn to the skeleton, known as Papyrus's outfit. A white torso with golden trims and an unrecognizable logo, a rough red scarf tied around his neck like a cape, blowing behind him due to a fan offstage that made both Mettaton and Papyrus' hair and clothes blow majestically through the whole concert. Less noticeable were blue boxers and red gloves trimmed with gold and strapped to the roller skates were comically long, red boots. "NYEH!" He exclaimed in triumph before immediately moving to the kitchen.

Mettaton and Papyrus cooked theatrically, often flirting with each other ("Who cares about the spaghetti, I could just eat _you_ up, Papyrus!"). Every simple turn was a choreographed twirl and every walk was a grand jete across the kitchen, but in a few minutes, the food was ready, and Mettaton and Papyrus took the pleasure of throwing out the freshly cooked spaghetti out to the audience, who tried to catch it with their mouths. Patty practically shoved everyone besides Frisk out of the way to catch the pile of noodles that flew their way, only for it to miss her mouth and get spaghetti sauce all over her shirt.

"It's fine, guys. I can just get a new one." Patty smiled.

Flora stared for a few seconds. _I feel like I'm the only normal one here._

Mettaton and Papyrus laughed heartily, high-fiving each other. The dogs ran back out and started dragging everything away, leaving only them and the overpowered band, the ghost and the siren in the background. Applause thundered through the stadium as Mettaton and Papyrus bowed, blew kisses to the audience, then pecked each other on the cheek. The two strutted off the stage, allowing themselves to be smothered with the audience's cheers, before finally exiting. Once the two stars left, the lights and music shut off completely, leaving everyone in the dark with the experience ingrained in their brains. Figuring it was late, Flora followed Iris, Willow, Frisk, Quinn, and Patty out of the stadium and offered them rides home.

"Well, that was...something," Flora said while driving.

"Did you like it?" Willow asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"I mean, I guess," Flora replied apprehensively before getting hugged by Willow from the backseat.

"That's great! I was so afraid that you'd hate it, or think that monster culture is weird and then, you wouldn't want to be friends with us anymore." Willow said.

"Monster culture isn't that weird," Frisk added.

It was then that Flora got an idea. "Hey, what are you guys' phone numbers?"

"Why do you ask?" Iris asked.

"Well, I want to get to know each and every one of you, so I want to take all of you on individual dates," Flora explained.

"Dates? That's very sweet but I thought we were all just friends..." Iris said in disgust.

"No, not like that! Friendship dates!" Flora shouted.

"Oh, I get what she's doing," Frisk said.

"In that case, here." Quinn pulled a business card out of their pocket and handed it to Flora. "It's Alphys and I's card, my number is on the bottom."

Willow pulled out a worn out ticket to the Mettaton concert and wrote her number on it. "Here."

Iris grabbed a small piece of paper from a cranny of the car and borrowed Willow's pen to write her number.

"Be sure to put Narcissus' number on there too," Flora added.

"What? Why?" Iris asked louder than she meant to.

"She seems interesting."

"Well, in a few minutes after we left backstage she already texted me. She said she'll be in town until Wednesday, there are a few more shows her father has to put on in Mt. Ebott."

"Okay, I'll try to find her before she leaves."

"You can have her right after she's done with me." Iris scoffed.

* * *

 ***You face-palm at your horrible ending.**

 ***You shrug at the realization you can't really change it.**

 **KONICHIWA! First, let me just say...I AM SO SORRY! Ooooh my gosh, I procrastinated then forgot all about this and then took an involuntary hiatus but I'M HERE NOW AND BACK ON TRACK! I would mostly like to apologize to Plantsvsme, who gave me the idea for Narcissus in the first place...I know you really wanted to see how she turned out...**

 **Back to the story.**

 **Meet Narcissus, the obviously narcissistic ghost child of Mettaton and Papyrus. Narcissus spent her childhood desperately trying to get close to Iris, as well as doing everything she could to be a part of showbiz. Despite how prissy and mean she is, Narcissus actually cares about the people she likes and/or loves, just a little less than herself, though. ;) I honestly hate rich characters meant to antagonize the protagonist(s) for no reason, so Narcissus isn't going to be that character. For her, mean comments come from lack of discipline and her desperate attempts to get close to Iris, she also teases to be funny, like Peridot.**

 **As for Mettaton and Papyrus, Mettaton became a star very quickly on the surface, and on his free time he took an interest to and eventually married Papyrus. Mettaton and Papyrus stayed around to raise a young Narcissus, but once she reached her teen years she and Mettaton went off on tours and only visited Papyrus (And Sans, who lives with him) for a few months at a time. Despite Narcissus' growing fame, she really doesn't have any friends, so she is actually quite desperate to be friends with Iris, Frisk, and Quinn. Let me be honest, I had no idea why the ship Papyton existed since there was no canon material in the game that I knew of. However, I felt like the two would be good together after a little while of experimenting with their characters. Papyrus is a master chef at Grillby's surface restaurant, and with the encouragement of Undyne, Frisk, Sans, and everyone else, he quickly learned how to cook properly and began to follow his passion, his new passion, that is.**

 **And if you were wondering, Patty is the lovechild of Catty and Bratty, who after getting in touch with reality and giving up their dreams of marrying Mettaton, they realized who was there for them all along, each other. They gave up a life of adventure and short-term romances for their powerful love. However, that doesn't keep their family for being lifelong diehard fans of Mettaton.**

 **Okay so I clearly didn't talk about everything featured in this chapter but I guess I'll leave the discussion to the remaining readers of this fic.**

 **REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED!**


	4. A Prince of Blossoms (Short) (UPDATED)

"Chara! You have to stay determined! You can't give up... You are the future of humans and monsters..."

* * *

It was a crisp, cool morning in the Palace of the Underground. The king and queen were already awake, as always, and they wore black, dismal outfits, even though nothing had died...yet. King Asgore and Queen Toriel weren't the first to check up on their adopted child, Chara, though. Their son, Asriel was already waiting beside their bed, giving them warm, golden flower tea.

"I'm thinking baseball today, how about you?" Asriel wouldn't stop talking. Chara was surprised he was so awake, it was the first time they had ever seen Asriel up and dressed in his green and yellow striped T-shirt and brown pants earlier than 10:00am.

Chara struggled to sip their tea, their illness making them feeble. "What part of 'I'm sick' do you not understand?"

Asriel took Chara's hand and wrapped it in his paw. "Sitting in this stuffy room is only gonna make it worse. Besides, it's no fun without you around."

Chara only smiled and closed their eyes. They were never one to talk.

"Chara? Say something!" Asriel panicked, shaking Chara's hand.

They opened their eyes. "I'm alive, don't worry."

"Phew! Don't scare me like that. I wouldn't want my only friend to die on me." Asriel's smile suddenly dropped to a frown. "Can you promise me that you're not going to leave?"

Chara's eyes sparkled with tears, but they quickly blinked them away. "I don't know, Asriel." At that moment, Asriel squeezed their hand tighter, and tears flowed from his eyes uncontrollably. "Can you promise me something, Asriel?" Chara asked.

"Anything," Asriel said, wiping his tears away with his other paw. He wouldn't want to look like a crybaby in front of his best friend.

"I always loved the golden flowers here, but I remember only vaguely how beautiful they were on the Surface. Could I rest on them, someday? Just lay me there, or perhaps, we could lay there together, and talk like we do here." Chara explained, their voice growing softer and softer, and more choked. Asriel could feel Chara's pulse through their hand, they could feel it slow, growing tired like the weary footsteps of a returning traveler. Chara could feel Asriel's cold tears drop on their skin, and they slowly looked up at Asriel. "Don't cry, Asriel." They were so calm in their words.

Asriel couldn't help but blurt, "I love you!" He began to bawl, just repeating Chara's words in his head made him want to cry even more. He knew it, he knew his best friend was dying. It all pieced together, from his parents' outfits to Chara's inability to keep a promise, it all came together to construct the most destructive puzzle in Asriel's young mind.

"I love you too," Chara whispered before they released their final, built up breath. It was relaxed, yet shaky at the same time. The pulse stopped, their body grew limp, and Chara's warm hand grew cold in Asriel's paw.

Asriel pulled Chara's limp hand close to his face, then shook it, as though that would reanimate Chara's corpse. "Chara? Chara, wake up! I don't like this plan anymore."

Toriel and Asgore were waiting just outside the door, listening to everything. They ran in, their black capes and veils flowing behind them. They gasped at the sight and began to weep as well, smothering their lost child. There were no words in those moments, only a heartache that would resonate in all three monsters' hearts longer than they would have ever anticipated. Suddenly, Chara's chest glowed a warm red. Toriel, Asgore, and Asriel stepped away from the body as a red heart rose from Chara's body, their soul. It floated there, as though waiting for something. Asriel remembered his promise to Chara and knew what he must do.

Asriel walked to Chara's body and cupped the soul in his paws. It tinted his white fur red, and Asriel stared at it for a few seconds before pulling it close to his own chest, where he slowly pressed it into him. It sent a warm chill through his entire body, and part of it reminded him of the first hug Chara had ever given him. It was a feeling of love, a feeling of never being truly alone, it was the feeling of someone holding your hand no matter what.

Toriel and Asgore couldn't believe their eyes as they saw their son grow up magically with the power of Chara's soul. And with that power, Asriel will be able to pass through the barrier and lay his best friend to rest on a bed of golden flowers, just as he had promised.

* * *

It was a long walk, and it took strength to carry Chara's body through the Barrier and to the human village near Mt. Ebott. Asriel had grown magically from a small, weak, goat boy to a tall, strong, young man who looked a lot like his mother Toriel. Instead of his favorite striped shirt, he wore black robes with his family's Delta Rune embroidered on the front. A cape waved behind him with the same design. Sharp horns had sprouted on his head, and his eyes flickered with Chara's determination and his own grief. He looked down at his chest, where his 'Best Friends Forever' locket dangled. Asriel's eyes continued to wander to Chara's corpse. Their short brown hair swayed with the light breeze and with the movement of Asriel's footsteps. They were still wearing their green and yellow striped T-shirt, meant to match Asriel's, and their locket. Chara looked peaceful, almost like they were only sleeping. Asriel liked to think of it that way, especially as Chara's soul pulsed inside of him.

He came upon the human village. A tranquil, simple civilization that wasn't too different from monster villages underground. It was silent, as it was probably still sleeping. The sun was just rising, but Asriel didn't even care to notice. He had caught sight of a bed of golden flowers in the center of town, and he walked towards it without glancing at anything else. Once Asriel reached the flower bed, he knelt respectfully and lay Chara on the flowers gently, adjusting their body so that they may be comfortable, despite being a corpse. Asriel smiled and moved Chara's hair out of their face. "There." He lifted his paws away and took a minute to mourn.

"Monster! Come quick, a monster has killed a child!" Asriel could hear a fearful cry echo through the village.

In just a few seconds, Asriel was surrounded by four human men, carrying long and sharp spears. They had awakened at the sound of one human woman's cry. Asriel knew that fighting back would mean bad blood between humans and monsters although he could easily kill the humans with his newfound powers. Chara spoke to him through thoughts.

 _Alright, just like we planned. Kill them. Show them our power._

Asriel refused to fight, and he fought with his mental strength that was surprisingly strong to resist Chara's control. _No! I know you hate humanity, but that's no excuse to kill innocent humans. Right?_

 _Asriel, don't do this. Please, just let me kill them. Look at what they did to you and your kind!_

 _I don't care!_ Asriel resisted. He stood over the flower bed and kept fighting to keep Chara from killing the humans. The humans were confused by Asriel's actions, but insisted on striking him with their weapons, and Asriel was seemingly numb to the cutting pain that pulsed and sliced in almost every area the humans could get at. Eventually, Asriel opened his eyes and looked to the heavens. He picked up at Chara's corpse, and left the village, barely able to stand.

He collapsed on the gardens of the Underground that evening.

Meanwhile, Chara felt a strange sensation within them as well.

How? They were supposed to be dead. Their eyes snapped open in the flower bed, and no one was to be found, not even Asriel. They looked over to see blood spilled on the flowers and strips of cloth. Their brown irises flushed red.

 _They'll pay for this._

* * *

Quinn's eyes opened sharply. They saw nothing but the ceiling in them and Frisk's dark room. Quinn noticed the leather book, _A Prince of Blossoms_ , laying face-down on their stomach. The clip-on booklight that was attached to the book pressed lightly into their fur. Quinn lifted the book off their stomach and set it on their nightstand. "I think that's enough reading for tonight." They whispered. Quinn looked back at the ceiling. "Goodnight Chara, goodnight Asriel." They closed their eyes. "See you soon."

* * *

 _ **"I don't want to be me anymore."**_

 _ **"I don't want to be human."**_

 _ **"I'm not going to show them any mercy, if they don't understand such things."**_

 _ **"I'm going to kill them."**_

 **A hint at what's to come.**

 **(Edit: Updated for Accuracy to Canon.)**


	5. I'm Sorry

Knock, knock, knock!

Quinn knocked on the front door in a cheerful rhythm. They were always excited for their internship with Dr. Alphys. They loved science, and Alphys was fun to work with, so they couldn't wait for what the day held in store for them. Undyne and Alphys' house was large and geometrical, built from used storage containers. It was one of the cheapest ways of building a modern mansion. The house was painted mostly white, with contemporary outdoor fixtures. The lights were on in the windows, so Quinn knew they were home. They stood outside, their paws tucked into the kangaroo pouch of their navy blue sweatshirt tightly to keep warm.

The door was eventually opened by Undyne, a tall, blue-scaled, humanoid fish creature with flowing scarlet hair kept in a ponytail who sported a black sports bra and grey spandex leggings, she must have been working out when Quinn knocked. She looked down at Quinn with a more irritable look on her face than usual. "Quinn."

"Is Alphys already in the Lab?" Quinn asked. Since Asgore still expected her to work on some projects, Alphys kept a basement which served as a Lab. Undyne lead Quinn inside, shutting the door behind them.

"Yes. Maybe you could do something about it since I'm apparently useless in this situation." Undyne muttered, her head down as Quinn walked beside her to the lab door.

"About what? Did something happen?" Quinn asked with worry.

Undyne closed her right eye, since the left one was under her signature eye patch, and sighed. "Amalgamates. Poor girl can't seem to get away from 'em. We got a phone call this morning, one of the Amalgamates went savage and killed their family. Three monsters dead in all, the beast is being kept in the Lab."

Quinn's eyes widened. "One of them...killed monsters?"

Undyne nodded. "Mm. I tried talking to her. Maybe if we go see her together, we could cheer her up. I hate seeing her like this."

Quinn wasn't sure how upset Alphys was at this news, but they remembered how Alphys was having a hard time recovering from the guilt of creating the Amalgamates. She was actually doing really good lately, and now that Alphys was knocked off track, it felt like the whole house was underneath a dark cloud. Undyne wasn't her passionate, bombastic self, Iris was nowhere to be found, and Alphys wasn't waiting for Quinn in the living room watching Bleach for the millionth time. Quinn wished Frisk was with them, because as much as they tried, they just weren't the encouraging one, like them. "You can follow me down," Quinn said.

"I wasn't asking for your permission," Undyne grunted. Quinn flinched slightly at her words since they were still kind of afraid of her.

Undyne opened the lab door, and Quinn already knew something was different. The lights were off, and the door creaked ominously. Usually, Quinn loved the cozy little creak the door made, but they had never seen an Amalgamate before...and they especially feared this one. Quinn followed Undyne down the narrow steps. The loud, violent sobs of Alphys rang through the stairwell the closer they got.

ROAR! THUD, THUD, THUD!

Quinn jumped a few inches in the air and flinched at the noise. "What was that?"

"It. That was it." Undyne replied quietly.

 _It?_ Quinn sped up their walking so that they were closer to Undyne for protection. The two reached the bottom of the stairs, and ever since the roaring of "it", Quinn dreaded reaching the bottom. They looked around to see the area where they and Alphys were working on Narcissus' robot body, then slowly scanned across the room until they eventually stopped at Alphys' main desk, where the yellow dinosaur creature was sulking. The only light in the room came from her desk lamp, but it only illuminated parts of the desk, her face, and her arms. She was laying on the desk, sobbing loudly, covering her eyes with her paws. Her spectacles rested beside her computer, right in between a figurine of an anime girl with cat ears and the phone where she had received the devastating call in the first place. Quinn looked back at Undyne, who looked just as dismal seeing her wife in such pain. Quinn decided to take the first step and walk towards Alphys. Undyne followed.

Quinn and Undyne knelt beside Alphys, who didn't even look at them. "Hey," Quinn whispered. "So, I heard what happened." No response from her. Quinn looked back at Undyne for reassurance, who nodded. They turned back, "I'm not entirely sure what to say, but you'll...we'll get through it. Together, instead of you hiding down here."

"Y-Yeah, this whole thing wasn't your fault. It was its own fault. An Amalgam going savage is just the same as a regular monster doing it. It's not like you told it to kill those people." Undyne added. She punched Alphys on the shoulder, harder than she meant to, and Quinn actually saw tears in her eye. "So snap out of it!"

"Undyne! Don't hit her!" Quinn whisper-scolded.

"I'm not going to sit here and let that stupid thing mess her up...not again. Where is it? I'll slaughter it." Undyne jumped up. "I'll kill it."

"U-Undyne..." Alphys sniffled. It was the first word she had uttered that night.

Undyne's eyes moved down to Alphys.

"D-Don't kill it," Alphys said.

"What? You're just going to let it torture you? You idiot!"

"It'd torture me even more if I killed it, Undyne!" Alphys shouted, sitting up. "I want Frisk to help it." She turned to Quinn. "Please, I want Frisk to help it."

Quinn nodded.

"Y-You're just going to let it live? It should be killed for its crimes, against you and those other monsters!" Undyne growled.

"Undyne, I'm trying to be strong here, I-I'm trying to stay kind here...I'm remembering what Frisk has said to me so many times. Killing it, or killing myself is just g-giving up, and I'm straining to not do that. P-please, help me do that." Alphys said quietly.

Undyne's eye widened. "Of course."

Quinn couldn't help but be amazed at Undyne and Alphys' interaction. No matter how protective Undyne was, no matter how much she promised for Alphys, she never let her do it. They also felt insignificant, only seen as a connection to Frisk, and they secretly hoped their presence would be almost as important to Alphys as Undyne's was in that moment. They hated their selfish thoughts and focused back on the fire slowly being reduced to an ember in Undyne's eye.

THUD, THUD, THUD!

Instead of a roar, there came distorted shouts, wailing,

"SHE'S TO BLAME!"

"YOU'RE TO BLAME!"

"SHE DID THIS!"

And a single voice,

"It was our fault, not hers."

But it was quickly overpowered by more thuds and, "NO, IT WAS HER!"

The Amalgamate called,

"ALPHYS!"

"ALPHYS!"

"ALPHYS!"

"That's it, I'm killing it." Undyne summoned a blue spear and followed the sounds of the creature in the dark.

"I'm sorry!" Alphys cried, putting her head in her paws and sobbing once more.

Undyne stopped, then ran back to Alphys' side. She put her spear away and lifted the dismal dinosaur in her arms. She looked back at in the direction of the area where the killer Amalgamate was being kept. She glared at it, then looked back down at Quinn, who was looking back in fear. There were many things that could have been said between Undyne and Quinn, but all was spoken in the look Undyne gave them. It was a glare, most certainly, but it was also strangely maternal and protective. Undyne gave the Lab and Quinn a final scan with her eye before continuing upstairs. Her muscles tensed whenever the Amalgamate roared, growled, or pounded, but Quinn's did too. She rested Alphys on the couch in the living room. Quinn could understand why, there were anxiety pills and anti-depressants in the master bedroom, and Undyne had to be on suicide watch at this moment. Undyne's face remained serious, and she turned back to Quinn and gestured to the front door with her head. They followed Undyne out the door.

"Listen here, Dreemurr," Undyne grunted once she shut the door behind her. It had gotten noticeably colder outside. Quinn wasn't sure what made them shiver more, the Amalgamate's cries or the wind that blew through their sweatshirt.

"Yes?" Quinn asked.

"I need you to promise me something," Undyne said. Quinn couldn't help but think of Chara's words in the dream he had, "Can you promise me something, Asriel?".

"Anything," Quinn replied.

"I'm not always going to be there to watch Alphys down in that Lab, as much as it pains me. While you're working down there, take care of that Amalgam. Keep it hidden from Alphys so she doesn't have to look at it. Frisk and I have worked too hard to let that thing hurt her...I won't let it. Do you understand? I also want you to be my extra suicide watch. I'll talk to Iris too, and we'll watch over her. Get Frisk as well."

Quinn nodded.

"I'm counting on you, punk," Undyne growled. Quinn knew now that whenever Undyne said 'punk', she was trying to be maternal or friendly, so they didn't take it as much of an offense. However, Frisk spoke of a time where that wasn't so, or at least they didn't think that.

"Aye."

"Go home now, and come back tomorrow, with a weapon. Just in case."

* * *

 **3 months later...**

Iris was first on Flora's list of dates, and she was as excited as ever. Flora had heard stories of Iris' parents, a bombastic former soldier who happened to be her gym teacher and a reclusive, yet brilliant scientist who Quinn works with every day after school. Iris was one to let her parents speak for themselves, instead of having her friends bias their feelings based on her own thoughts. This philosophy made Flora nervous. How could she know how to act around them if Iris never said anything relevant about them?

"You know my mom, Undyne, pretty well, but I can't wait for you to meet Alphys!" Iris said. Flora decided to hitch a ride in Iris' car.

"According to what I've heard, Alphys must be a pretty interesting father," Flora replied.

"Father? Hah! No, she's my mom! That means triple periods and a never-ending circle of 'Go ask your mother.' " Iris laughed before sighing. "It's fun."

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Flora rushed to save herself.

"It's fine! I get it a lot. Narcissus gets it too since she has two dads. Except, it's much more confusing with Mettaton. You've seen how he is." Iris explained.

"He?"

"Don't worry about it, you'll figure it out eventually." Iris chuckled before the car, a red Ford Fusion (with upgrades) to be exact, stopped at the garage of the storage container house with a light jerk. "Welp, here we are." Iris said.

Flora gasped at the large mansion. She had only ever seen storage container houses on television. Her mother was obsessed with HGTV, so she saw all kinds of interesting houses being broadcasted. This, however, was the first time she had ever seen a geometric, contemporary style house in real life. "It's so big and so cooool!" Flora was so amazed she stretched out the o's in "cool".

Iris chuckled again. "Come on! The inside's even cooler!" She popped open the door on the driver's side, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and ran towards the front door. Flora fumbled with her stuff and sprinted to keep up. Iris was faster than she looked. The two stopped at the door. "They usually leave it unlocked for Quinn and I." And with that, Iris opened the door.

The inside looked much cozier. The living room was still contemporary, with white, oriental lanterns dangling from the ceiling over a grey leather sectional couch. The television was the biggest Flora had ever seen, and it was sleek and shiny, almost brand new. The carpet was white shag, but underneath a glass coffee table front of the couch was a rug with blue, green and white circle designs on it. There was a white grand piano right next to a mysterious closed door on the left wall. It was everything Flora would expect from a scientist's house, assuming that Alphys was paid a lot. Flora continued to follow Iris through the living room, gawking at everything, before they turned to the kitchen. Flora hadn't even caught a glimpse before her life flashed before her eyes.

"NGAH!"

A glowing blue spear whizzed right by Flora's neck and hit the wall. There was a sheet of paper on the end. Well, it was pretty much unreadable now. Flora flinched so much she almost fell over.

"I DON'T WANT TO JOIN YOUR STUPID CLUB! THEY NEVER LISTEN TO ME! ALPHYS AND I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOUR CRAZY PARADES!" Undyne shouted. She must've been talking about what was on the paper. Undyne must've just gotten home as well because she was still wearing her gym teacher outfit.

"Mom! That's not how we introduce ourselves!" Iris scolded frantically.

Undyne snapped out of her rage and acknowledged Iris and Flora. "Oh! Sorry 'bout that. Wait, is that Flora? From your class? She already knows me! I don't need any first impression!"

"Heh, well, she's staying for dinner, so make something magical!" Iris said.

"Magical? It'll be better than magical, it'll be spectacular! Human, prepare for your tongue to feel bursts of reinvigorating flavor! Tonight, you will taste my famous,"

"Not really," Iris whispered.

"QUIET! My _famous_ teriyaki chicken and rice!" Undyne announced proudly.

 _These monsters are definitely sure of themselves._ Flora thought. Iris pushed Flora from behind towards Undyne until she was right in front of her. She could see her blue scales and toned muscles in high definition now. Flora reached out to shake Undyne's webbed hand. "Although we've met before, I'm Flora."

Undyne snatched Flora's hand sharply, squeezed it so that it hurt, and shook it eagerly. "Undyne."

Iris got in a conversation with Undyne about school, but Flora grew bored and started to wander towards the door on the left wall of the living room. In all the houses she had been in, the basements were always the coolest. At least, she thought this was a basement. She was excited to explore it, and hoped that they had a pool table. Flora opened the door and crept down the dark stairs. It was so dark, that she couldn't find the light switch. Maybe, Iris' family wanted what was down there to stay hidden? It certainly was ominous, but that didn't stop her.

Darker and darker,

Deeper yet deeper,

Quieter and quieter.

The air stunk of engine oil and smoke. Flora couldn't make out the exact chemicals she was sniffing, but she knew that she smelled chemicals. Her perky demeanor changed to fear as soon as she stepped into that stairwell. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart, her silent, echoing footsteps, distant conversation, and the whirring of machines. Flora saw the bottom of the staircase, and wasn't sure how to feel, but she stepped down.

"GRR! I'LL KILL HER! WHERE IS SHE?"

Flora was suddenly tackled to the ground. She looked up to see the jaws of an unknown creature. It snarled in her face and splattered thick saliva all over her. It had the head shape of a horse, its fangs were translucent and seemed to be made out of jello, but they looked sharp nonetheless. The creature's eyes were reptilian, and Flora only got three seconds to look into them before yelping at the pain of another head biting into her leg. The monster had arms, and they pinned down hers. She could hear the flopping of its long, scaly tail on the floor over her screams and its growls.

"Help! Iris! There's a _thingy_! What is this thingy?" Flora screamed.

Help came to her, but it wasn't from Iris. The creature was knocked away by what looked to be Quinn. They looked well, but not very heroic in their floral skirt and navy blue cami that were covered by an oil-stained apron. They were quite skilled with a bo staff, and Flora was thankful she didn't find out earlier in gym class. Quinn quickly tied a rope around the creature's neck and began to pull it away. "Flora?" They grunted.

"Quinn?" Flora was still surprised at who came to save her.

"You seem to have fallen down, but don't worry. It's usually not like this." Quinn said before they exited with the monster.

Iris ran down the stairs a few seconds later. "Flora! Oh, thank goodness! I could hear your screams." She glanced back up the staircase. "It's fine, mom! She must've just fallen!" Iris must not have comprehended what Flora was saying in her cries for help.

Flora was still catching her breath. "Wha-What in the world was that? What is with your family and almost killing me?"

Iris shrugged. "You only fell down the stairs, it's not the end of the world."

"No! I did _not_ fall down the stairs! I was tackled by a weird thingy! With jello teeth and an extra head!" She pointed to her bleeding leg. "See? It bit me!"

Iris whispered. "The Amalgamate."

"What?" Flora tilted her head quizzically.

"Q-Quinn? Is everything okay over there? It doesn't take that long to fetch more bolts!" A voice called from deeper in the room.

Flora finally got the chance to realize where she was. Iris flipped the light switch so she could see better. It was a laboratory. There were white tile floorings, metallic silver ceiling fans and industrial fans lining the walls. Leaning against the right wall was a messy desk with an overflowing filing cabinet next to it. Beside the desk was another door, which knowing the last incident, Flora did not have the guts to look into. Quinn walked out of the door just as Flora had glanced there. They jingled a jar of bolts. "Here, they were on top of the filing cabinet. There must've been a wrench in the works or something back there, there was quite a racket." Quinn was pretty good at covering up things, even though Flora didn't see why they had to cover the creature attack up.

In the center of the room, however, was a robot body. It was certainly still a work in progress, but it looked fabulous nonetheless. Flora assumed that it was for Narcissus, and it reminded her of Mettaton. She could make out the fabulous, muscular legs, the torso that was a dancer's size in every way-Skinny, but healthy. The face was just as chiseled as Mettaton's, but it wasn't as masculine-looking, it looked like a female mannequin at Dunham's or some other sports store. Much like Iris' hair, flowing down from the chiseled head was a poofy, curly afro. Flora understood why Narcissus chose that hairstyle. It was dramatic, uniquely beautiful, and she sensed a reference to Iris in the craftsmanship. A small, plump reptilian creature poked her head out from behind the waist to the robot. She pushed up her spectacles with her paw before speaking, "Oh! Well, I, uh, it's a work in progress, so don't judge it too hard!"

"Nah, I think it's pretty cool. I like robots." Flora smiled.

The dinosaur grinned. "Uh, thanks!" She hopped off the ladder propping her up, and she proved to be shorter than Flora, Iris, and Quinn. "I-I don't think I've met you, have I? Or did I forget? Sorry, if I forgot. I'm Dr. Alphys, but you can just call me Alphys. I'm Iris' mother."

Flora held out her hand to shake and Alphys shook it reluctantly. "I've heard a lot about you. I'm Flora."

"You've heard things about me? Are they good things?" Alphys asked frantically.

"Yeah, they say you're a brilliant scientist," Flora said.

"She also created Mettaton! Bet you didn't know that, did ya?" Iris blurted, punching Flora playfully on the shoulder.

Alphys began to sweat, her wet, yellow scales glinting in the light. "Y-Yeah! I heard you saw him in concert two days ago. D-Did you like him?"

Flora wasn't sure to how respond to Mettaton when she first saw him, but she noticed how nervous Alphys was, and figured she would compliment her. "Yeah, he's pretty impressive."

"Yes! I'm very glad to be his f-I mean, creator. I would think he is probably the only successful thing I've ever done." Alphys trailed off to a mumble before circling back. "But, I'm glad so many people like him as much as I do. Now he has a daughter who wants me to do the same favor for-a body for a soul."

Quinn, who was working on the robot while this conversation was happening, pulled their head out of what they were doing and smiled at the three. They seemed to do that every time someone would mention souls. The four stood in silence for only three seconds before a loud door slam echoed through the lab.

"ALPHYS! IRIS! ...OTHERS! IT'S TIME FOR DINNER!" Undyne's voice called.

"I guess I could stay for dinner," Quinn said quietly, setting down the tool they were working with and taking their oil stained apron off.

They walked up the stairs to the kitchen single file, Alphys first, Iris second, then Quinn, and Flora was last. She took one last look behind her, thinking about the throbbing pain in her leg, but she didn't say anything. If Quinn covered it up, then she probably had to cover it up too. Once up the stairs, the smell of teriyaki sauce, chicken, and a hint of smoke filled her nostrils, and it was a strong mix. Flora finally got to take a good look at the kitchen. The stove, oven, and other appliances were all connected through one counter that would surround a cook, in this case, it was Undyne. On the side of the oven were white bar stools. They were the art-deco looking kind that looked like you were sitting on individual ice cream scoops. Alphys, Quinn, and Iris sat down at the bar area in front of the stove and completely ignored the perfectly good dinner table, so Flora decided to take the empty seat next to Iris out of the five that were lined there. Undyne got behind the counter, where a pan of chicken was cooling down. It looked delicious, cooked to a soft, light brown. Flora didn't know what Narcissus was talking about the other night about Undyne's cooking and shrugged off her words as mere insults that weren't true. Undyne took a pan of rice from another area of the stove and dished some out before pulling several metal tools out of a drawer behind her, including knives and spatulas. She cracked her knuckles before taking two knives and clanging them together, grabbing everyone's attention.

CLING! CLANG! CLING! CLANG!

"FAMILY! HUMAN! INTERN! PREPARE TO DINE!" Undyne announced proudly.

"Don't you mean...prepare to UnDINE?" Quinn cracked a pun, causing everyone to laugh.

"You hang out with Sans too much," Undyne said after chuckling heartily. She whirled around the kitchen, snatched a bottle of cooking oil and squirted it all over the chicken.

"Wait, I thought it was already cooked?" Flora asked.

"Pfft! That's just for the scent! We're just getting started!" Undyne shouted, flashing an eager, yet devilish smile.

"Oh boy," Flora mumbled before Undyne turned on the stove. The blue flames appeared instantly with a crackle and a whoosh. Undyne pulled a bottle of teriyaki sauce from the fridge behind her and rubbed it on the chicken with her bare, scaly hands. "That isn't even safe!" Flora shouted.

"You must sacrifice for what you're passionate about! Remember that!" Undyne yelled proudly as Flora face-palmed. "Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!" Undyne called out before turning up the heat on the stove, causing the flames to quickly engulf the pan before flickering out. It took approximately twenty seconds for Flora to realize that what Undyne said was not a random attack name, but a reference to Fairy Tail, one of Flora's favorite mangas and animes.

"N-Nice one, Miss Salamander," Flora said nervously as Undyne dished out the burnt chicken on her plate.

Undyne smiled big, showing off her sharp teeth. "Thank you."

Alphys, Iris, and Quinn bowed their heads and put their hands together. "Itadakimasu!" They said at the same time before eating. Flora, an anime and manga fan herself, thought, _These are my kind of manners_ , and repeated the phrase herself before digging into the burnt food.

She now knew what Narcissus was talking about.

Flora wasn't sure what was more overpowering, the cooking oil, the teriyaki, or the burnt chicken. The minute a piece of the meal landed on her tongue she wanted to spit it across the room, but she said "Itadakimasu", and it would only be proper to eat the whole thing. She mostly regretted saying anything at all. When she wasn't focused on holding in her barf, she was thinking about the Amalgamate and her leg that no one seemed to notice yet besides Iris and Quinn, who weren't saying anything. Flora remembered Iris saying something about Amalgamates at the concert, but Flora didn't seem to remember that when she walked to the Lab.

Once finished, Iris tapped Flora on the shoulder and took her to a back pantry just down the hall from the kitchen, where she whipped out a first aid kit, rolled up Flora's jean leg to reveal the bloody bite marks, and began to wrap up the wound in cloth bandages. "Sorry for not saying anything, my mom knows about the Amalgamate, but we like to pretend it isn't there."

"Why? It's kind of hard to pretend it's not there." Flora asked.

"Well, my mom, it disturbs her. It keeps her from being truly happy. She was doing great until it showed up again, and now it's kind of on and off. I know how it is, one minute you're watching anime with your family, one blink and you hear the screams of your past echo in your mind. That is what happens with trauma. I haven't experienced much, but I've heard the similar things from Willow, Frisk, and Quinn." Iris explained.

"Oh, so it's all to protect Alphys?" Flora asked.

"Yep. Quinn likes to observe it every chance they get, though. They're weird like that. They stay up late reading the same book, they watch the Amalgamate and keep track of its 'determination' and stuff. Then they go and talk to Sans for hours on end about timelines and stuff. One day, all that knowledge is gonna hurt them, I just know it. But for now, all we can do is sit, build robots, eat burnt teriyaki chicken and watch anime like idiots who think nothing's gonna change." Iris said, smiling after the last sentence.

Flora liked that philosophy, that it was better to have fun while it lasts. "Hmm. I like anime."

"At least, that's what Frisk told me. Maybe they got it from Sans because he seems to follow it too. Speaking of anime, wanna watch Princess Mononoke with me and the others?" Iris asked.

Flora smiled and immediately shrugged off everything she had just heard. "Yeah, I love that one!"

"Aren't all the Miyazaki films good? Maybe we could call your mom and ask if you can spend the night, then we can have a marathon!" Iris said excitedly.

"You have all of the Miyazaki films? Count me in!" Flora said as they stood up. Flora covered up her bandages with her bloodstained pant leg, and followed Iris out of the pantry and out into the living room. The five of them spent the whole night watching anime, completely disregarding school the next day. When falling asleep that night, Flora thought back to all that had happened,

 _Pretending to be ignorant isn't that hard when you've been it all this time..._

* * *

 **Gaaaaah I don't know what to say!**

 **First of all, the author's note for the last short was meant to be ominous so...Oooooooh scary.**

 **Second of all, I have been waiting to write this chapter for a while, so I'm glad I finally got the chance. If I could pick a character I relate to the most, it would be Alphys. From her hobbies to her anxiety and constant guilt, writing Alphys just flows naturally for me. Seeing her commit suicide in some neutral routes brings me to tears, but seeing how her friends help her through her problems in the True Pacifist route make me feel empowered. I almost felt bad for having one of the Amalgamates come back, but oh well, life happens.**

 **Undyne, Iris, Quinn, and Frisk always have the stress of keeping Alphys happy looming over them, though.**

 **I haven't been getting a lot of reviews lately...did my involuntary hiatus drive everyone away? I sure hope not...**

 **I also hope I've been portraying the original Undertale characters as close to canon as possible, because I would hate to go on a tangent like in Broken Together.**

 **Flora, like most humans, doesn't know about timelines or souls or any of it, so this is all new. Not a lot of monsters know either, but when Iris hints at change, Flora gets a little worried.**

 **Okay, final question: Coming up in the story, there will be a FIGHT. I want to ask the reviews how I should format it. Should I use references from the game, such as:**

 **"Derpina firmly tells Derpgore to stop fighting.**

 **Recollection flashes in Derpgore's eyes, but he ignores it as he strikes again with a flame attack."**

 **That's just an ambiguous example from the Asgore fight, but modified a touch. Or, would you think it best for me to describe it like a regular fight scene?**

 **Reviews and feedback are ENCOURAGED, so don't be shy!**


	6. Roughing It

It was finally the weekend. After two long days, one of which Flora spent groggily making it through after watching Miyazaki films the night before, it was finally here. One of the things that Flora loved about the weekend was sleeping in her cozy, wooden sleigh bed with hot pink covers for a few extra hours. It had taken her long to go to sleep that night, with nightmares of Amalgamates and the lingering pain in her bit leg. She was reassured by Iris that the bite wasn't poisonous, but it was painful nonetheless.

That morning, around noon, a phone call woke her from her deep slumber. Flora grabbed it off her nightstand tiredly and answered it without even checking who it is.

"HEY FLORA!" The familiar voice of Iris shouted through the phone, causing Flora's heart to get a jumpstart in beating rapidly. "IT'S IRIS! I bet you're confused since this is Willow's phone. She didn't really get back to you on that date thing, but she has a great idea!"

"If it's her idea, why isn't _she_ telling me?" Flora asked.

"One thing about Willow...she's kind of shy, especially with new people. You intimidate her, apparently, which I find surprising, but what can you do? Pack your things, because we're going camping! Two days, one night, at a campsite near Mt. Ebott. Willow doesn't like one on one, so it's a group thing! My parents and I are here, and Frisk and Company are already here, and-"

"Who all is in Frisk and Company?"

"Frisk, Quinn, Toriel, and Asgore. Duh. All the Dreemurrs."

Flora felt her whole body heating up. _Camping with my teacher and the ambassador for humans and monsters? That can't be good._

"Oh yeah, and Sans is here already too. Papyrus and Narcissus are taking longer than expected, but Mom told me that she just got her robot body today! Quinn and Mom worked really hard last night to finish it, and they've been working on it for months!" Iris said excitedly.

"Alright. I'll be there in a bit, or maybe longer since I don't know where it is." By now, Flora was sitting up on her bed.

"I'll text you directions. Oh, and Willow says hi." Iris said.

"Well, tell her I said hi back."

"See you there!"

"See ya." Flora hung up and set her phone on the covers. She sighed, "What have I gotten myself into?" She enjoyed her friends, but thought it was surreal that she could make friends so quickly, let alone monster friends whom she had nothing in common with. That being said, Flora jumped out of bed and got ready for her camping trip, hoping for yet dreading the adventures that were bound to happen.

* * *

Flora could hear the crackling of the gravel underneath the tires of her Honda Odyssey. It was a rocky road to the campsite, and as soon as she pulled into the trail leading to it, the path was lined with forest. This was the first time she had gone camping since the time she went in her fenced, suburban backyard at age 5, and she wasn't sure how to feel, but she also had a feeling these monsters knew what to do.

She came upon the campsite with two large cabins, one for boys and one for girls, all made out of wood. They looked cozy, and they even had porches wrapped around the buildings that overlooked the small lake by the camp. In front of the cabins was a lot of space to run around, complete with fire pit, volleyball net by the water, and colorful kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards rested on the shore, where the tide hugged the beach lazily. Flora smiled as she saw Iris, Undyne, Alphys, Frisk, Quinn, and Sans playing beach volleyball, whilst Willow conversed with Toriel and Asgore by the steadily burning campfire they were preparing. As soon as Flora got out of her car and shut the door, everyone looked her way and ran towards her excitedly.

"You came!" Willow shouted. She hugged Flora first, despite her shyness.

"When are you going to stop questioning these things, Willow?" Iris asked.

It took only a few minutes for Flora to introduce herself to Asgore and Sans...however, she didn't necessarily need to introduce herself to the second one. Flora recognized Sans as the big-boned skeleton she saw at the Mettaton concert, and he recognized her as the red-haired human wearing an Attack on Titan shirt at said concert. "Hey, I'm-"

"Flora, right? Yeah, you're the girl who asked for directions at the concert. Quinn talks about you a lot too." Sans said as he shook Flora's hand. She wasn't sure if Sans could pull off anything but a smile, but his still looked pretty genuine.

Flora looked back at Quinn, who was blushing under their fur. _I've only had one conversation with the guy, what all can they say about me?_

Right on time, a red convertible, emitting blasts of music drove up and parked beside Flora's minivan. Anyone could see through the front window that Papyrus was driving, a grin pretty much frozen on his face like Sans. Beside him was what appeared to be the robot body Flora saw in the Lab the other day. Except, it looked much more pristine, and the face was filled with life with Narcissus' soul inside of it. Papyrus stepped out of the vehicle and struck a dramatic pose. "NEVER FEAR, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS HERE!" He announced.

"Oh brother," Flora mumbled.

Narcissus fumbled with the car door before opening it. She stumbled on her new, long legs before ending up by her father in a much sloppier version of his pose. "An-AND the great Narcissus is here as well!" She stuttered, her voice sounding more autotune than usual. Flora assumed that a ghost getting used to a body was a very sloppy process. The other monsters and Frisk applauded supportively, and Flora joined along. After all, she wanted to be Narcissus' friend too. Unlike the version she saw before, the color scheme of Narcissus' body was a gorgeous teal/turquoise, with frost blue eyes, her afro dyed teal, and her clothes a bright turquoise, Narcissus looked even more stunning than Mettaton, in Flora's opinion.

Quinn and Alphys high-fived at the sight of their creation, but after that, everyone went back to their own separate things. The most important thing that happened during the day was the volleyball game. The teams were simple, Iris was on one team and Undyne was on the other because they were the best players. Papyrus, Alphys, Flora, Narcissus and Asgore joined Undyne, and Quinn, Sans, Toriel, Frisk, and Willow joined Iris. Let's just say, it was a battle "to the death", although none of them had any sort of score to settle. Iris, bent on winning, kept calling rematches against her mother Undyne until everyone grew tired, even Iris herself. Narcissus was out of the game quickly, since she was still very clumsy. Sans followed her, preferring to sit and watch, much to Papyrus' annoyance. Alphys and Toriel were sweating like pigs and decided enough was enough by the second game. Asgore was getting up there in age already, so he decided to rest, and the others stopped to eat dinner at the end of the fourth game. Flora took it upon herself to try everything the camp had to offer, including kayaking and hiking, which she did with the same old group, Iris, Willow, Narcissus, and Frisk. Quinn stayed by the campfire and talked to Sans.

"See? I was right. If Sans is around, don't expect Quinn to do anything fun." Iris said, punching Flora on the arm before following Frisk and Willow, who had already started down the trail.

"Hey, guys! Wait up!" Narcissus called, sprinting over to Iris and Flora and walking beside them.

"What? Did you think we'd leave you?" Iris asked.

"Yes, I mean, no! Why would you ever leave the GREAT NARCISSUS behind?" Narcissus replied.

Iris smiled. "Exactly."

"So, Iris, what have you been doing with yourself these days?" Narcissus started small talk, which Flora found incredibly boring, so she just focused on Narcissus' strange body language. She seemed more nervous than usual, and she was rubbing her neck often, as though experimenting with the feel of her new vibrating vocal chords. She would also run her fingers through her hair and sometimes touch Iris'. Maybe she saw the similarity in the two. Flora went back to listening.

"Yeah, and then I didn't say a word. I let my fist do the talking, hehe." Iris said, slamming her fist into her palm. She must've been telling a story that Narcissus was strangely into.

"You're so strong, Iris. I don't see why anyone would want to challenge you to a fight." Narcissus said fawningly.

"Oh, I know exactly why. It's all about dominance. Everyone wants to take a crack at the alpha. What can I say? I set a pretty high bar." Iris grinned.

"Yep, you sure do."

"Hey, Frisk and Willow are getting away from us! We gotta catch up!" Iris started to sprint to Frisk and Willow, who seemed to be having their own conversation. "Frisk! Willow! Don't think you're escaping us!"

"Iris! Wait up!" Narcissus followed Iris, almost desperate to talk to her. Flora was silent most of the time in these affairs, mostly because she preferred listening to talking. She found it interesting how Narcissus wasn't as mean as before, that her soul being wrapped in metal armor actually made her more vulnerable than before. Once beside Frisk and Willow, the group engaged in banter that Flora occasionally joined in. Willow and Narcissus seemed to jockey for Iris' attention, which Flora found odd, but shrugged it off as she was more drawn to the aloof and mostly silent Frisk. It was mostly just Iris, Willow, and Narcissus doing the talking the entire hike. It was dark by the time they got back, and Quinn was still talking to Sans next to the dying fire. The adults were already sleeping, Flora guessed.

Flora and Narcissus left the group to grab their bags out of their cars. Flora had only packed a navy blue duffel bag since she didn't see herself needing that much. Narcissus, on the other hand, packed everything but the kitchen sink with four large bags, all of which were neon colors.

"Really roughing it there, Narcissus," Flora said sarcastically as she passed the stumbling robot.

"What? You never know what you might need! No one was ever safe packing light!" Narcissus snapped back.

"Okay, okay, I see your point," Flora smiled, graciously accepting defeat.

Narcissus tripped and fell, her bags weighing her down. "Little help?"

"No problem, I've handled heavier things. My old school had a textbook for every subject and expected us to take all of them home every night!" Flora said.

"Yikes. I guess you're experienced, then."

After Flora helped Narcissus to the girls' cabin and getting settled in, Flora wasn't sure what to do. Everyone was going to bed, Iris, Narcissus, and Alphys, Toriel, and Undyne were already asleep, but Flora was restless. Even Frisk, who happened to be staying in the cabin with them, was asleep. In her dilemma, she noticed Willow was gone. Her bed was completely empty. She decided to ask Quinn and Sans if they had seen her.

"And then, she says with dying breath, 'And with that power...This world will live on...!'" Sans was telling a story, but not as bombastically as the story should have been told.

"Excuse me? Have you two seen Willow?" Flora asked.

"She went down the trail. Apparently there's a good spot to look over the lake back there." Sans said, pointing a bony finger at the trailhead.

"Okay, thanks." Flora started to run down the trail.

"Wait." The voice of Quinn pierced Flora's eardrums.

"What?"

"Maybe you should leave her be. Sometimes people need to think. I know she does."

"She doesn't look like it...what could possibly be wrong?"

"A tree cries out when it dies, you just can't hear it. A person may cry out for help as it dies, maybe you just can't hear them either." Quinn explained, twirling a yellow dandelion in between their fingers.

Flora took Quinn's words to heart, but she kept running down the trail until she saw Willow, staring off into the diamond sky, illuminated by the moon and stars. Her floppy ears and long hair blew in the autumn breeze, and it seemed to grab at her clothes and fur as well. Flora approached the monster slowly, until sitting down beside her. It was a gorgeous view that was perfect for looking out to the horizon, lit up by the moon's reflection.

"Hey," Flora said quietly.

Willow jumped. "Hey...human."

"Human. You've known me for a while. You know my actual name." Flora nudged Willow playfully.

"Flora."

Flora nodded.

"Since you're here, can I just talk to you?"

"Yeah, sure, go ahead."

"Have you ever heard of unrequited love?"

"Yeah. Steven Universe, Pearl had unrequited love for Rose Quartz."

Willow giggled. "Yeah. I guess I'm a bit like Pearl."

"What do you mean?"

"I love someone, but it's likely unrequited. She sees me as a friend, nothing more. Besides, I don't even know her preferences, and she'd probably be disgusted at my preferences. I know my parents would be if they ever found out. I always felt like finding love would take away your doubts, but how is it that it gave me more? I don't know, seeing her so much as talk to another person lights a fire in me. I would challenge everyone just to win her heart, and maybe even waltz at a ball like in the stories...or, she would challenge people to win me. She'd be my prince charming. I can see it now, just her and I on the dance floor." Willow explained. Her tone was sorrowful, but it grew perkier and more fanatical as she began to fantasize. After she painted the picture of the waltz with her words, she began to hum the Sleeping Beauty Waltz by Tchaikovsky, gradually increasing in tempo.

"Wait," Flora said after processing.

Willow quieted.

"There has to be more."

"Does there have to be more?"

"I know there is. I can see more than just the sorrow of unrequited love circulating within you. A tree cries out when it dies, you just can't hear it. A person may cry out for help as it dies, maybe you just can't hear them either."

Willow's eyes widened before throwing her head back and laughing. "Hah! Who said that?"

"Quinn."

"Hah! Like they aren't a dying tree already! Sure, if my parents ever found out that I was in love with a girl they could kill me, or worse. They're rather savage creatures, not the kind, peaceful beasts that monsters should be. They have a secret hatred for humans, and if they ever knew that I hung out with you and Frisk, you'd be killed after me. They're hostile, traditionally hostile. I guess I just live in fear of that. When I fell in love with...her, I thought that my fear would disappear with every friendly embrace she gave me, but now I'm more scared than before." Willow sighed. "Even my happiness can be seen as a prison. That's why I go to rallies to help people. You're lucky I took you on this trip because my schedule is so packed. I pack it full of nonprofit things so then I can help people and stay away from home."

Flora nodded. She wasn't exactly a trained psychologist, so she merely put her arm around Willow's broad shoulders. The large goat creature fell into her lap and laid there. Flora had a good sense of personal space, and she preferred to keep her purple circle heavily guarded, but she let this one slide.

"Do you think I could ever tell Iris I love her?" Willow whispered.

 _Iris? IRIS? IRIS!_ Flora wanted to scream in shock. She knew that Willow's unrequited crush had to be someone she knew, but Willow's best friend? Come to think of it, it was like every harlequin Hallmark romance movie her mom ever dragged her into watching. She simply responded with an encouraging, "Yes."

And a few minutes later, Willow and Flora walked back to the cabins to rest.

* * *

Flora was still restless, so she just watched Frisk as they tossed and turned in their bed, the lower bunk across the room from hers whom they shared with Narcissus. She watched with wonder at their distress, not entirely sure if they should wake them up. Instead, she just watched. _I wonder what they're dreaming about..._ She thought.

* * *

 _Enough was enough._

Chara had had enough. They were sick of humanity, they were sick of their life. They saw nothing but sorrow, greed, violence, towards them and others. The last encounter they had had driven them over the edge. This was it. Enough was enough. They didn't care if they stole a horse, they didn't care if the people of her town chased her to the ends of the earth. However, the looming Mt. Ebott was their destination of choice. Legends say that those who climb the mountain never return, but unlike the legends, Chara did not want to return. They could hear the sound of pounding hoofbeats on the forest dirt pursuing them and the brown, spooked horse they had stolen to make their getaway. They urged it faster, slapping the creature occasionally, but most of the time they clung to its neck, sobbing at their upcoming doom and the fact that their life had to end that way. It was cowardly, but the only way to escape from a prison with no openings is to die.

Chara's every action could've been mistaken for dauntlessness. They didn't ride with a bridle, reins or saddle, they urged their horse to slide to a halt in front of the mountain's base so suddenly that it almost fell backward. They leaped off of their horse and started to dart up the mountain, climbing faster than they had ever moved before, no longer fearing exhaustion. Any way to go was good enough for them. However, they reached the top alive and began to slowly approach the large hole in the center of the mountain. Whether it was a sign of volcanism, Chara was not sure, all they knew was that jumping down into the mountain meant death, which was what they wanted. As they approached, Chara tripped on a snaking vine that they did not notice before, knocking them off of her feet and into the darkness of one of the Earth's many mouths, Mt. Ebott.

THUMP! Everything went black.

* * *

Frisk knew it was a flashback, all part of the dream. They had these often, more often than their own dreams. After the flashback, they found themselves in a dark room with blood red light seeping in. Instead of the usual blue and pink sweater, they were wearing one of the near inverse, green and yellow.

"Greetings, Frisk." A voice that sounded all too familiar to Frisk said. Frisk turned around to face the rosy cheeks, creepy smile, and glimmering knife blade of the person they were just thinking about. Chara.

"Howdy, Chara," Frisk said stoically.

"Have fun with your camping trip?" Chara asked, twirling their knife in their hands. Simple hospitality was a trick that they often played with Frisk, but it never worked.

"You really don't care," Frisk replied. "But if you did, yes, I had fun."

Chara chuckled. "You know this game too well. You're bored of it. Why don't you try something new? There's more than one side of me, you know."

"There may have been more, but now I only see one."

"I see. You'll break eventually. Just wait. I'm inching closer and closer. Did you really think the timeline would be saved if you brought monsters back to the surface through pacifism? You actually helped me. Now I don't have to worry about getting to the Surface."

Frisk remained quiet.

"Quiet as always. Don't think you're above me. One slip-up and you're mine, Frisk. Remember that." Chara said before cackling loudly. Chara's face began to melt away like wax to a flame, her eyes seemingly rolled back into their sockets as she laughed and laughed until her face was completely distorted and dripping. Frisk's vision soon completely turned blood red, and Chara was gone.

Frisk's eyes blinked open, and now Flora was waiting beside their bed.

"So you were really having a nightmare..." Flora started talking.

"CHARA!" Frisk randomly shouted before realizing it was Flora talking. "Oh. Heh, I'm not used to waking up to another human."

 _Has this guy really been with monsters that long?_ Flora thought to herself. "Well, I'm not Chara." They laughed nervously. " _Whoever they are._ But, if you ever have any more nightmares, you can always come to me...buddy."

Frisk smiled, and that was all. Flora felt awkward, but she shrugged it off. She had more on her mind than Frisk's nightmares. From the Amalgamate, to what Quinn talks to Sans about, to Willow unrequited crush on Iris, and Narcissus' new body. However, the name Chara did strike her as interesting. She chose not to ask, fearing it might be the name of an abusive parent or lover or something...

 _Chara...what a nice name. A nightmare wouldn't have that kind of name, would they?_

* * *

 **Oh, Flora, you have never been more wrong.**

 **(Urgh why am I so obsessed with this character.)**

 **Gah, I don't know where to start! First of all, Narcissus. She was a bit nicer since her condition is loaded for teasing, so she wanted to protect herself. Once she gets used to that new body she'll be back to her old self. Willow and Narcissus jock for Iris' affection but Narcissus seeks platonic love where Willow seeks romantic love. Narcissus doesn't like Willow all that much.**

 **Ever since Frisk fell into the Underground, Chara's spirit infiltrates their dreams. They often have flashbacks about Chara and Asriel, and flashbacks through the eyes of Frisks from other timelines. Quinn, on the other hand, has dreams about Asriel and is aware of the possibilities of genocide thanks to Frisk and Sans.**

 **Onto Willow, yes, she's a little dork in love. It's not so much her love that depresses her as much as her parents and what they might do if they find out. Willow is usually very extroverted, but something about Flora being from somewhere else other than Mt. Ebott intimidates her. However, she tries to suck it up because she wants to promote human-monster correlation.**

 **REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED!**


	7. Home

Frisk was very interesting. At least, Flora found them so. The ambassador for humans and monsters wasn't as intimidating as she originally thought, and for someone who brought monsters back to the Surface and had had so many experiences, you'd think they'd talk more. No, that was not the case with Frisk. Polite, impartial, and every synonym for kind Flora could think of. She kept thinking to ask Quinn or Sans or even Frisk about the nightmare they had had the other day, but she figured it was none of her business. She also wondered what it was like living with the kind, maternal Toriel Dreemurr and the eccentric Quinn Dreemurr she had both come to like. Frisk's house wasn't too far from the school, so the two just walked. They had given Toriel time to get home by staying back and listening to Iris play the piano in the music room.

"It's so cold! Why didn't we take a car? You have to have one! Quinn has one!" Flora groaned, her arms wrapped tightly around her body. She felt embarrassed for being so weak around Frisk, but they didn't seem to mind. In fact, they smiled and took off their striped sweater to give it to Flora, only to reveal a long sleeved shirt with the same striped pattern underneath. "I can't accept this. You'll freeze too! Winter is almost upon us!" Flora said, handing the sweater back to Frisk.

"It's only a short walk. I'll make it." Frisk replied.

As much as Flora wanted to stay ascetic, she had to take the sweater. She was cold, and she couldn't function that way. Once she slipped on Frisk's sweater, she reached into her bag to give them something in return. Her mother packed her a Hershey's chocolate bar for an after school indulgence, but she decided to give it to Frisk. Everyone likes chocolate, right? "Here. In return for your favor." Flora said, smiling.

Frisk was surprised by the gesture, but they pushed it away. "Sorry, I can't eat it."

"Oh come on. You gave me your sweater. Nothing like chocolate to warm the heart." Flora giggled slightly. She had a nervous issue that made her laugh after almost everything she said, funny or not.

"That's very thoughtful of you, but I literally can't eat it. I'm-" Frisk cleared their throat. "Allergic, to chocolate." Their face flushed red. Maybe it was just the late fall wind, or maybe they were embarrassed. Flora wasn't sure, and she wasn't sure if Frisk was lying to her or not, either.

"Oh," Flora said quietly. "Well, I'll be sure to remember that."

Frisk seemed to not be paying attention to Flora, so she looked in the direction Frisk's eyes had wandered. There was a large forest near the school, and if you walked deep enough into it, you would find the rocky base of Mt. Ebott. Toriel would take the elementary kids to go bird watching and bug hunting and all sorts of outdoorsy things. Near the trail where they always went, was a cobblestone driveway with a hand painted yellow mailbox at the entrance. It had "Dreemurrs" painted on in red with small hearts surrounding it. On the other side, Flora peered to see a symbol that reminded her of the Triforce of Wisdom from Zelda. Frisk had already started down the driveway, where the trees seemed to bend to form an archway that reminded Flora of a picture of a Norwegian chapel. Flora was also thankful that the trees blocked the wind. It only took a few minutes to walk down the driveway before Frisk and Flora reached a small cottage tucked into the forest. It had a large cleared yard with trails stretching from all sides that led to different parts of the woods. It was large compared to most cottages Flora had seen in fairy tales, yet it was still whimsical with its white brick walls and Tudor style roofing. The brick chimney even had hints of smoke coming out of it. Lining the front of the house was a small garden with golden flowers in it. Flora turned to Frisk, expecting to follow them. They smiled and gestured to the door invitingly. The two walked up the path to the doorstep, and Frisk just opened the door and walked in.

"Welcome to New New Home!" Frisk said as they entered. It was certainly cozy, with hardwood floors and vintage decorations. Flora found it odd that the steps leading to the basement were the first thing you saw when you walked in, but figured, maybe that's what was more convenient. Flora followed Frisk down the hallway to the left of the door into a small living room/dining room. Lining a roaring stone fireplace was a brown leather sofa and a beat-up brown suede recliner with a book resting on the seat. Adjacent to the chair setup was a white dining room table with old, chipping paint. The minute Flora walked in, a glorious aroma filled her nostrils. It was warm, inviting, and it was the scent of warm soup and delicious butterscotch and cinnamon.

"What is that?" Flora asked after taking three, long, indulgent sniffs.

"Just my mom's cooking. She's the greatest. She's even baking a pie for you, her specialty." Frisk said.

"Do you smell this kind of thing often?" Flora asked before mentally face-palming, seeing as that was a weird question.

"If every evening counts as often, yeah. But I'm sure your parents' cooking is way better." Frisk replied.

My mom is pretty good, if and when she cooks." Flora said, awkwardly sticking her hands in her jean pockets. "Well, since it seems like it's going to be awhile before dinner's ready, so, what do you want to do?" It was always the same with these things. You get all excited to hang out with your friends and yet you have no idea what to do.

Frisk shrugged. "I could show you around. We can play board games in my room if you want."

 _Board games. I'm here with one of the greatest heroes in monster history and they want to play board games with me._ "Sure," Flora said. She shrugged as well.

Frisk smiled and grabbed Flora's hand gently, which made Flora uncomfortable at first, but after the awkwardness left, all that remained was a soothing comfort. Frisk led her out of the living room, through the entryway, and down the narrow hallway to the right of the entryway. It was sort of like a hotel, with a long, oriental style rug that stretched across the hallway. The first door they came across happened to be the door to Frisk's bedroom. The two entered, and it really wasn't much for a bedroom. There were two wooden twin-size beds, one on each side of the room. The only way to tell who's was who's was by the different quilts on the beds. Behind the beds were separate wardrobes and separate little bookshelves with different books on them. The room was tidy, with nothing thrown on the floor. (Unlike Flora's room, which was basically a cesspool of dirty clothes and wet towels.) There was also a small little window. Frisk got down on their hands and knees and pulled out a small, worn, tin box that held a checkers set inside. Flora seemed disappointed, as this was rather anticlimactic, but decided that she was bent on beating Frisk anyway. She and Frisk sat on the floor in between the two beds and got the game set up.

"I'll be black." Flora blurted before mentally face-palming again. _How immature of you! What if they wanted black? You don't call colors anymore, what are you? Five?_

"Okay. I like both of them." Frisk shrugged and scraped all the red checker pieces to their side of the board.

"Alrighty then. Prepare to be defeated by me!" Flora shouted confidently.

"Don't count on it," Frisk smiled.

Despite the relaxed competition, Frisk and Flora still participated in small talk. "So, where are Quinn and Asgore?" Flora asked.

"Quinn's over at Alphys' house, like always. Dad's still at work. He's still the king of monsters, and he still has to participate in human politics. Next fall, I'll be off to college near him, so then I can study and be an apprentice so then I can be an ambassador full time once I'm done studying." Frisk explained.

"Where's Quinn going to go, since they're not planning to be an ambassador?"

"Take a guess. They're going to be studying with Alphys full time. They want to take the Amalgamate to Alphys' old lab underground. There, they'll take college classes online and study in their own field. Quinn will sometimes come up to work with Alphys and come see us...I hope. But they seem pretty excited about leaving."

"What's their field?"

"Souls. Soul power, determination, timelines and all that stuff. I'm worried about leaving them underground, though, because that's where _he_ is. If they find him, none of us will be there to stop them from doing something stupid. Dad says I need to worry about myself, apparently, but it's hard not to worry about everyone, especially the people I love. Quinn knows too much for their own good, I know Willow is struggling in so many areas, she doesn't feel safe, Narcissus is, well, Narcissus. She tries hard to project her confidence, like her father, but I know she just wants a friend. I feel bad for her, always being in the public eye. And Iris, well, it's easy to worry about someone when they're related to Alphys because I worry about her too. I even worry about you sometimes."

 _Him? Who is him?_ Flora thought to herself, although she was mostly just overwhelmed with all she had just heard come out of Frisk. She was so overwhelmed that she blurted, "What about Chara?" She covered her mouth. Frisk raised their eyebrows involuntarily.

"I'm not worried about them," Frisk said.

 _You dirty liar._ _You tell me all about Quinn, Willow, Iris and Narcissus but you won't tell me about 'him' or Chara? Well, I guess some things have to be hidden._ Flora thought back to something they said earlier. "Why do you worry about me?"

"The reason I worry about everyone. The same reason Quinn worries about everyone."

Flora tilted their head as though awaiting an answer.

"You're all in constant danger." Frisk moved their piece up the checkerboard, jumping Flora's last piece. "Looks like we play again." They said.

Knock, knock, knock! Their game was interrupted by three perky knocks on the bedroom door. "Frisk! It's dinnertime! Bring your friend!" Toriel's pleasant voice wafted in, along with the thick aroma of the food. Flora was craving the food, but she desperately wanted to ask Frisk what they meant. She sauntered behind Frisk to the dinner table, where porcelain bowls of soup were waiting. It looked like it was just going to be the three of them that night, but Frisk and Toriel seemed okay with it. They sat down, Toriel on the end, and Frisk and Flora across from each other.

"Alright! I'm starving!" Flora rubbed her hands together eagerly, licked her lips, and picked up the spoon adjacent to her bowl. Unlike Undyne's cooking, this meal was almost indescribable. It tasted just right, not too wet or dry, not too overpowering or bland. The warmth and texture of the thing felt like a warm hug on her mouth and esophagus, and it was incredibly filling. However filling, Flora kept asking for more. Toriel gladly fetched it for her, as Frisk watched with delight. Sometimes Frisk helped out by bringing soup to Flora, who after her fourth round felt like a pig.

"Save room for dessert! Wow, you must really be hungry!" Toriel chuckled.

"If all you've eaten this week is ramen noodles, junk food, and Undyne's chicken, you have a little extra room in your stomach," Flora said with a mouthful.

Toriel laughed again. "I'll say! Well, in that case, I'll give you a second slice of Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie!" She disappeared into the kitchen. Frisk had cleared their plates several minutes ago and was waiting patiently for Flora to be done.

"Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie?" Flora asked.

"What? You've never had it? You're in for a treat! Maybe my mom will let you have the recipe, so then you can have it all the time!" Frisk said. They were almost always smiling, which Flora admired in a person. It wasn't a fake smile, either. It was genuine. Toriel stepped out of the kitchen a few seconds later, the pie in her paws. She also held a knife and spatula to cut and dish out the pieces. The aroma was overpowering now, and Flora liked it that way. It reminded her of a family gathering she went to once with a friend. Although she wasn't part of that family, the homemade cookies and treats smelled of comfort, home, and a hug from someone you loved. It smelled like the holidays. Toriel set the pie in the middle of the table, right in between Flora and Frisk. Frisk looked at Toriel, as though for reassurance before slowly picking up the knife, cutting the pieces with a steady hand, and placing two slices on Flora's plate. She found their mannerisms strange but was too busy diving into her dessert ravenously without even a second thought. The pie was also almost indescribable. Creamy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness with a light cinnamon kick. It was the essence of autumn, with the warm cuddle of creamy butterscotch and the bite of cinnamon's wind. Toriel ate her pie quietly and peacefully, and Frisk was the same, except they occasionally looked up at Flora's sheer delight, smiled, then went back to eating.

Once finished with the meal, Flora decided it was time to call her mother for a ride home since it was already dark. She expected Frisk to have a car to take her to their house, so she had her mother drive her to school instead of wasting the only car her family had. She attempted to call several times, but there was no answer, well, besides maybe a dial tone or the answering machine. Flora scoffed and put her phone back in her pocket. "She's probably asleep. When is Quinn going to be back with the car?"

"They won't be back until later," Frisk said.

Toriel, who was reading in the beat-up recliner now, put down her book to speak. She looked mighty cute in her tiny spectacles, like a cartoon grandmother, so Flora focused all her attention on her. "You'll have to stay the night then."

"You can sleep in the guest room! It's in the basement...I hope you don't mind basements." Frisk said.

"Not at all."

"You can go downstairs and get set up while I get some extra blankets and a space heater. It gets colder down there when winter approaches. Sorry if we can't make it as comfortable as possible for you."

"It's fine. I'm just thankful you saved my butt by letting me stay here. We have school tomorrow, and I'd hate to waste half my night walking across town to get home in the cold."

"I'd hate that too."

Flora and Frisk went their separate ways. Flora wasn't necessarily afraid of basements, but there was always a lingering obligation to turn the lights on before you enter, and so she did just that. She followed Frisk's instructions and went in the first door to the left. It was too dark to see near the walls since the lights were off. However, she could make out a queen size bed with blankets draped over it. These were no ordinary blankets. They were made of a material called sherpa, and they looked like lamb's wool. She and her mother called these kinds of blankets "lambies", and they were considered the warmest, most comfortable blankets of all. There were about seven of these large blankets on the bed. Flora felt along the bed until she found the wooden nightstand, where there was a small lamp. Once she turned on the lamp with a perky clicking sound, the room was illuminated. It was a tidy guest room with a small adjoining bathroom and closet. In the closet, Flora found pajamas in assorted sizes. She was just smaller than Frisk, so she donned a pair of pajamas that must've been hand-me-downs with snail designs on them. They were made of fleece, and were way comfier than Flora's pajamas at home. She was so exhausted, she instantly climbed into bed, feeling the flannel sheets and pillowcases with her hands as she slid in. Flora snuggled up with the lambies, turned off the lights and went to sleep before Frisk even made it down there.

* * *

"Chara?" Frisk whispered. This was incredibly unusual. There was no red light, no voice, no Chara, and Frisk wasn't wearing a different colored sweater. They were just them, nothing else. Just as they were. What caught their eye in this dream was not a red light or a voice, no, but golden light, like from the Sun. Could it be? A dream? A dream without Chara in it? Frisk turned to the light, only to see a familiar face basking in it, sitting in a bed of golden flowers.

Frisk had only talked to him once or twice, but it was him who gave them the philosophy that they've stuck to ever since it was spoken to them. The philosophy that clashed with what he said through what seemed like an entire lifetime. _Don't kill, and don't be killed, alright?_ He was the one that Quinn strived to resurrect. He didn't pay any attention to Frisk, he just stared aloofly at an unknown object, absent-mindedly picking the petals of a flower in his white, furry paw.

"Asriel!" Frisk called out his name. Asriel jumped and turned his head to face Frisk.

"Frisk? What are you doing here?" He stood up. Frisk started to run towards him, elated to be seeing him again. Even if it was just a dream, they always had a desire to be friends with Asriel after their little talk so many years ago.

"I don't know! What are you doing here?" Frisk asked, smiling.

"No, wait...You're not supposed to be here. Don't you have better things to do than visit me? I...I..." Asriel stuttered, taking a step back.

"Asriel, come on. You know I've missed you." Frisk stopped and smiled patiently.

"No, I didn't know that. You have things to attend to, things to do besides visit me in your dreams." Asriel said.

Frisk wasn't entirely shocked, but at least they knew it wasn't some muse. This seemed like Asriel. They weren't sure how he could get through without being Flowey, but they didn't care. Frisk just looked at Asriel, right in the eyes for a few moments before...Suddenly, vines started to creep up from behind Asriel's back. They were familiar, thick and thorny, and they wrapped around Asriel's body tightly. Asriel started to panic, "Frisk!"

Frisk ran to Asriel, and Asriel reached to Frisk, trying to lock hands so maybe Frisk could pull him out of the vines' grasp. It was too late, a single vine slithered around Asriel's arm and soon pulled his hand back away from Frisk. Everything went black again, but instead of the usual cackle of Chara, there was a different one, a more high-pitched one.

 _You idiot._

* * *

 **Aaaah, home. Nothing like ButtsPie, lambies, and terrifying nightmares about old friends...and enemies.**

 **I was listening to the soundtrack on repeat like I do every day, and Fallen Down (Reprise) came on and I just started crying for some reason? I started thinking about Toriel, and how she was the kind of character I wanted to jump through the screen and hug. She seems like the kind of character who'd cradle me and tell me everything's gonna be okay. And then, this chapter was born.**

 **Flora is kind of independent. The only family she's had is her single mother, and she tries her best not to burden her by being almost completely self-sufficient. However, she longs for the motherly affection she received from Toriel that night. The next morning Flora will find that Toriel left her a packed lunch with a leftover slice of pie, the recipe to said pie, and a book she mentioned wanting to read to Quinn, all for her. Toriel is everyone's fairy goat-mother haha**

 **I always liked writing about comfy, cozy environments. Like warm little cottages and hobbit holes and stuff...because well, I like comfy, cozy things! I like snuggling with blankets, eating warm food, and fuzzy pajamas. It's one of my favorite parts about winter and autumn. During the summer, I can't wear fluffy sweaters or fleece pj's without sweating to death, so it's only a winter/fall thing. Flora showed up a little late in the school year, early November or so.**

 **One thing about being everyone's friend, it makes you worry. I always saw both Frisk and Flora being like me, people who try to solve everyone's problems and can't stop worrying about everyone. The only thing that scares Frisk more than losing their friends is losing control of themselves. Much like Steven had dreams about Lapis, sometimes Frisk has dreams about Asriel/Flowey. They're not really sure what they mean, or if they're real or not. Quinn tried to study Frisk's sleep patterns once, but Quinn was fairly young and they fell asleep while watching haha**

 **(Here I go again with the stupid headcanons.)**

 **(I listened to a lot of classical music while working on this one)**

 **What did everyone think of this chapter?**


	8. A Waltz for Every Season

Flora was excited to join the band. She had no idea Iris, Willow, and Quinn were in it and were so good at it. She couldn't play that day since it was her first day since her tryout and had to wait for results. She just sat in a chair in the back of the room next to her giant tuba case, sketching what she felt matched the music that she recognized as the Victory Theme from Overwatch. Her band teacher, Mr. Jacobson, was very much into movie scores and video game soundtracks as well as classical pieces. Occasionally, she forgot about her sketch of her friend Iris wearing armor and wielding a spear, her hair blowing majestically in the wind, and closed her eyes, just listening to each note, chord and melody as they entered her eardrums and swirled through her very soul. Flora looked out to see Iris, playing piano, pressing her hands on the keys with such emotional vigor, yet there was an elegance and weightlessness to her movements. Next was Willow, a giant creature on such a gentle and light instrument, the flute, and then there was Quinn, on the cello. Flora always admired the cello, as well as the piano and violin. It was the instrument that sounded the closest to the human voice.

"Greetings, human!" The robotic voice of Narcissus startled Flora as she grabbed her shoulders from behind. Flora flinched and looked back at her smiling face, then back at her sketch.

"Hey, Narcissus," Flora said.

Narcissus' eyes moved down to the sketch of Iris and all of its awkwardly proportioned glory. "Wow, that's horrible. Is that supposed to be Iris?"

Flora frowned. She seriously thought she was doing better. Ever since she realized her dream of becoming a storyboard artist at Disney, she had been practicing her drawing every day since freshman year to become a better artist. "Yeah..." She mumbled. A certain song from the musical Wicked came to mind, about loathing.

"Why you drawin' Iris, huh?" Narcissus got on her knees and rested her head on Flora's shoulders, batting her eyelashes. It was obvious that Narcissus interpreted Flora's drawing completely wrong.

Flora shrugged. "It matched the music."

Narcissus threw her head back in laughter. "Nyeh heh heh! You humans, always so strange."

"Why are you here, Narcissus? Don't you have class?" Flora asked.

"Yes, but I got time off to get people for this year's project!" Narcissus said, standing up and posing dramatically.

"Project?"

"Oh yes! This school's drama club has been dormant ever since the old drama teacher left the school...that's why it's my burden and proud pleasure to bring it back by directing this year's production of...well, I haven't found a play yet. But when I do! I need people behind me to make it fabulous. That's why I'm here to ask Mr. Jacobson if I could borrow the band for orchestral effect! It's obviously gonna be a musical, no doubt about it." Narcissus explained, posing all the way. "Say, how about you do something useful and help out? Since you obviously need more art experience, you can work backstage and design backdrops and props and costumes! That is if you prove to me that you can do better than that."

"You want proof?" Flora asked, her voice getting hostile as she stood up so her face was level with Narcissus, but she calmed down by her next sentence. She knew how dangerous narcissistic people were when they received criticism. She read of those kinds of things often, ever since her mother started hearing voices. "I won't just help you with the play. I'll write it, music and all."

Narcissus was shocked, and she stepped back as Flora approached her, but she quickly stood confidently again. "Is that so? Sorry to burst your balloon, Flora, but there's no way you can write and compose a musical in a few weeks." Now, instead of Overwatch, the suite from Howl's Moving Castle was being performed by the band for their upcoming fall concert. The tone of the music matched Flora's situation as waltzes seemed to have a pretentious undertone to them.

"I don't need to write it. Just give me your email. I have the script and score for an animation I wanted to do when I got better at drawing. It took me months, and I can't believe I'm wasting it on you." Flora said.

"Wasting it? No, of course not! You're doing the school a great service!" Narcissus instantly grew perky. "Do you really have a musical for me?"

"Yep. I can email it to you today. You won't be disappointed."

"Oh Flora, you genius, you!" Narcissus scooped the scrawny human up in a hug. Flora was surprised by the quick change in tone. Narcissus was only nice if you benefited her in some way, or if you were Iris. "You're a great partner!"

"Thanks," Flora said almost expressionlessly. At that moment, the band silenced their symphonies and went back to the cacophonous sounds of multiple instruments practicing multiple melodies. The loudest sounds, though, were Iris on the piano and another reptilian creature playing the violin. The creature looked like a hybrid of a dragon and a rabbit, with long, bushy hair, floppy, rabbit ears, and little fins on each cheek, similar to Iris and Undyne. Dorsal spikes jutted out of his back, in between his folded wings and all the way down his its long tail with a white fluffball at the point. The two of them sounded good together, playing the recognizable, intense theme of Guren No Yumiya. Just listening to the tune made Flora feel giddy, and hot flashes rushed over her. It was something she liked to call the fandom feeling, and she had to get closer to the stimuli. She almost felt bad for interrupting. "Iris!" She called.

Iris stopped playing abruptly, her hands freezing on the keys. It was like she snapped out of a trance. "Flora? Hey, what's up?"

"That was amazing! Are you going to perform it someday?" Flora asked, hardly able to control herself.

"Yep! Tripp and I are playing it at Solo and Ensemble Festival in January. Those judges won't know what hit 'em!" Iris smiled.

"Tripp?" Flora asked. She turned to the dragon-bunny monster. "Are you Tripp?"

"Yeah." The monster chuckled.

"Well, you two sound great together! Hopefully, I can make it to your performance." Flora smiled.

"Hey, do you know what Narcissus is up to? I heard you two talking, and now she's raving to Mr. Jacobson." Iris asked.

"She's directing a school play and wants help from the orchestra to make it fabulous," Flora explained.

"What play?" Tripp cut in.

"Hopefully, a Waltz for Every Season," Flora said, looking over to Narcissus and Mr. Jacobson.

Iris and Tripp tilted their heads in confusion.

"It's a play I wrote myself," Flora said with a hint of pride, slightly pumping her chest out.

"Cool!" Iris and Tripp said at the same time. Tripp looked up at the clock on the wall. "Oop, it's almost time for next hour. I'll catch you later, Iris." He walked off with his violin, smiling and winking.

* * *

 **The next day...**

It was lunch again, and the day was casual, as usual. Tripp had come to sit next to Iris, Willow, Quinn, Frisk and Flora, and he engaged in playful, almost flirtatious banter the whole lunch hour with Iris. It was almost like the two were best friends, even though Flora had never seen him before until yesterday. Willow and Quinn seemed overwhelmed by the two of them, whereas Frisk just acted like they weren't even there. Flora decided to strike up a conversation with Frisk. "Hm. I wonder what Narcissus is doing."

"Probably setting up the stage. It's been collecting dust for a few years now. I guess she's already holding sign-ups today, and backstage workers are getting started right away as well. She doesn't waste time." Frisk shrugged.

"Wow. I guess that's her way of telling me she liked my play?" Flora asked.

Frisk shrugged again. Suddenly, she felt the metal hands of Narcissus grab her shoulders from behind. "Human! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"

Flora flinched at Narcissus' touch. "How do you keep sneaking up on me?"

"Just an aspect of Narcissus EX 2.0!" Narcissus boasted.

"2.0? Whatever happened to 1.0?" Flora asked out of curiosity.

"Let's just say a certain amphibian blew it up by not following instructions. Nyeh heh heh, Iris is hilarious! Sure, it fried most of Alphys' tech, set them back more than a month or so, and let out something in a cage that was supposedly a real hassle, but it was funny when it happened! However, I do feel bad, now Alphys won't let Iris in the Lab unsupervised." Narcissus explained. Flora felt lucky that Iris was too busy with Tripp to listen to their conversation. "Anyway, I loved your play! I gathered some henchmen in the elementary school to hang up fliers. Auditions shall be tomorrow! But, don't think you've escaped. Backstage workers meet today! Get ready to sweat, because it has to be perfect. I have a date set and everything, and my daddy, Mettaton, is free to come watch!"

"That's...great!" Flora said. She felt herself heating up in anxiety.

"You bet your boots it is. And if anyone screws it up I'll...I'll..." Narcissus said through gritted teeth, clenching her fists before exhaling slowly and releasing them. "I'll just be very upset. Are you feelin' me, Flora?" Narcissus scared the butterscotch pie out of Flora, and it seemed like she knew it. She desperately wanted to turn to the silent and stoic Frisk and whisper, "Help me." but she knew that would be rude. She simply nodded. "Good. Don't be late. And Frisk," Narcissus turned to Frisk. "I need you to help me with casting. I have an ideal cast for the leading roles."

"Don't you think you should consult the writer on that?" Flora asked quietly.

Narcissus paused, then shrugged. "Mm. Just show up, you two. That's all I ask."

Flora and Frisk responded at the same time, Flora saying, "Sure." and Frisk saying, "Yep!"

"Great. Thanks again for the script and score, Flora. And tell Iris I left the script with the highlighted parts in her locker. She'll make a perfect lead once she's finished..."Narcissus squinted. "Flirting." And with that, she was gone.

* * *

Practice rolled around, and once Narcissus barked orders to her and several other humans and monsters, Flora put her earbuds in and got to work on an autumn backdrop. She had a knack for painting but didn't know how good she was. She tried it anyway and drowned herself in the rhapsodies of Chopin and Fall Out Boy. She worked that way for hours until she noticed that everyone else had left for home and that Narcissus and another human were arguing behind one of the backstage curtains. Flora took her earbuds out and tried to eavesdrop on what they were saying, but to no avail. A few minutes more, and the human completely stormed out. What was strange was the fact that Flora could see something she was never able to see before. On the human's chest was a bright, scintillating yellow heart, and Narcissus' glowing heart was just blank and white. She figured she was seeing spots from the stage lights and got back to her work.

Click, clack, click, clack. Narcissus' heels sounded like horse hooves on the stage. Flora knew that she couldn't sneak up on her this time, not with those heels. Flora looked back, only to realize that Narcissus wasn't trying to scare her. Narcissus was looking at the backdrop Flora was working on. She could feel the electric heat from her legs on her side. Flora looked up at the aloof Narcissus, who acknowledged her presence. "Oh. Sorry, I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Oh." Flora chuckled nervously. "Well, as you can, uh, see, it's going quite well."

Narcissus smiled lightly. "I can tell. You're a good painter, I'll give you that."

Flora's face heated up and flushed crimson. She wasn't sure if it was from Narcissus or what she said. "So, what was that all about back behind the curtain?" Flora blurted before she could think.

Narcissus sighed. "Just a human, quitting on me. She says I'm too rude and bossy, and narcissistic. I get it often, but if only they knew how hard it was. I always just pushed their remarks aside, because I'm too great for friends. Maybe there's no one great enough to get me. I just thought that it would be worth it if I could impress my father."

Flora tilted her head and just stared blankly at Narcissus. That's what Frisk did, and it usually worked.

"That's why this is so important. I'm finally old enough, I'm finally good enough to impress Mettaton. My entire life he's been gone on tours, and even when I was with him, he was always so busy. He had other people teach me, instead of doing it himself. If I can show my dad that I can do this right, maybe he'll let me manage his shows...or perform them, who knows? Papyrus always reinforced me, telling me I'm great, that I wasn't self-absorbed, just determined and confident. I got my tunnel vision from him, you know. Eyes always on one dream and never focusing on anything else. It's why I don't have friends." Narcissus' face held so much emotion, that's how Flora knew it was real, and not just crocodile tears. She was surprised, though, that her face could show that much through her robotic skin. She wasn't sure who she should be impressed by, the makers of the body or the soul controlling it. Was Narcissus opening up to her? Of all people? The least she could do was listen.

"And yet, your name is Narcissus," Flora mumbled under her breath, not expecting Narcissus to hear.

She laughed. "Yeah, and then there's that. A nickname. Mettaton came up with it, although most think to credit Papyrus. He hates the name Papyrus gave me, and besides, this one rolls off the tongue. Mettaton called his daughter Narcissus, so obviously that word stuck."

"What? Do you want to change it?" Flora asked.

"Heh, no. I'm content. With you working so hard, I don't have to worry about failing. I don't have to worry about not having friends to back me up. If I just keep working, it'll all be worth it when Mettaton actually wants to hang out with me. He's the only friend I want most in the whole world, and I'll give it all up for him." Narcissus said. Flora was absolutely stunned. The past few days, she couldn't stand Narcissus, but now that she knew all this, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Then again, her mind anxiously considered that Narcissus was lying to her. She figured she could ask Frisk later. They know everything about everyone. "Welp, no use crying about it. Screws up the circuits. If I was sick with a malfunction, nothing would ever get done. However, you've done more than enough. You can leave." Narcissus said.

Flora nodded and gave Narcissus a patient smile, similar to Frisk's. "Okay." She struggled to stand up, ever since the Amalgamate attack. She thought it would have healed by now, but it got worse and worse. It throbbed every second of every day, but she tried to hide it for Iris. She looked dismal whenever she caught sight of her limping in the hallway.

"Your leg. What's wrong with it?" Narcissus asked. She wouldn't take her eyes off Flora, not even for a second.

"Gym class." Flora lied.

"Right. None of your fencing partners have stabbed you in the leg, and I would've laughed at you if you fell during warm-up jogging."

Flora sighed in defeat. "Amalgamate attack. It bit my leg. I'm sure you know what that is."

Narcissus nodded. "Mm. Frisk had to leave practice early today to help Alphys, Undyne, and Quinn with it. Iris has a ton of scars on her from that thing. Don't tell Alphys, but Iris takes on the Amalgamate whenever she's really upset. Sure, she charts stars and stuff if she's a little blue, but she sometimes has panic attacks about her mother and she takes it out on the beast in the basement. She's been that way since we were young, and I would just watch. Undyne and Alphys think it's from fights at school, but we know better, right?"

Flora's eyes widened in surprise. "No, I didn't know that."

"Figured you didn't. You should go now. I've blabbed enough to you. You poor thing, you've stayed beyond the allotted time and you get the consequences. Or should I say, privilege, Think of it as a behind the scenes thing, with Papsta "Narcissus" Blook." Narcissus smiled. "See you tomorrow." And surprisingly, she was the first of the two to leave.

Flora wasn't sure what it was, or why Narcissus wanted to share all that information. The main explanation was, _Could she sense my loathing and wanted to prove me wrong? Or maybe she wanted to make sure I wanted to help her? Or maybe...she just wanted to be my friend._

* * *

Luckily, the seeing was good that evening.

Iris liked to chart stars, looking through the telescope in a treehouse Undyne built for her in her backyard. She had used it as a private observatory since she was young. The floor was littered with books of years of data she collected and stories she and her friends made up for every constellation. Despite being so much like her mother Undyne, there was a scientist in her too, like Alphys. Iris was too busy trying to suppress her tears with cold, hard, data to notice that Tripp had ridden his bike from across the street to the treehouse. He parked the bike next to the tree and started climbing until he climbed into the treehouse. He had free reign of the place since Iris and he were friends for as long as they could remember. He wasn't quite in the group with Frisk, Willow, Iris and Narcissus, but he was close. "Hey, Iris," Tripp said as he pulled the rest of his lanky body into the treehouse, flapping his wings a bit for extra lift.

Iris jumped at Tripp's voice and stepped away from the large telescope poking out the window towards the horizon. "Oh, hey Tripp."

"Looking at stars?" Tripp asked. The question was practically rhetorical.

"No, I'm looking at fireflies with a telescope," Iris replied sarcastically.

Tripp laughed. "You can't get me to go away with wit. I'm immune to it."

"Aw, darn. Foiled again." Iris mocked, smiling banteringly.

Tripp approached Iris until they were side by side, peeking out the window. They wrapped their tails in a loose little twist, almost like a subtle hug. "What happened?" Tripp asked.

"Does there have to be something wrong in order for me to want to look at stars?" Iris answered with a question, not even looking at Tripp. Her eyes stayed on the night sky littered with scintillating stars. The days were getting shorter, so it was dark by dinnertime.

"No. It's just common of you. It's roughly dinner time for you, so you would be in the kitchen with your parents and maybe Quinn if they decide to stay. There are no shadows behind the curtains, meaning that no one is on the main or upper floors. They're all down in the basement, meaning Amalgam stuff. Is Frisk here to work with it?" Tripp said.

"Wonderful observations, Sherlock," Iris said sarcastically. "Yes, Frisk is here. I don't want to see them, though. None of them. My mom...I don't like seeing her so upset. It's just a cruel reminder that this is a problem we can never fix. Frisk never makes progress. This Amalgamate is too stubborn to repent. It just wants to kill, no matter who it is. I had no idea monsters could be that way. I don't want Frisk to come here anymore for this purpose. One of these days, my mom will...she will..." Iris could feel her heart palpitating, her body heating up and sweating, her eyes welling with tears, and she started to tremble. She recalled a nightmare she had, of Undyne battling the Amalgam while Alphys lay dead on the floor, an empty bottle of pills in her paws. It made her stomach nauseous.

"Iris? Iris? Iris!" Tripp realized what was happening and wrapped his arms tightly around Iris' body, almost like a Thundershirt for dogs. "That won't happen, trust me. We can go down to the Lab and find out right now. Your parents will live, no matter what. Undyne won't let herself die, and she sure as hell won't let Alphys die. You just have to do what Undyne does, and that is refuse. You must refuse to let them die, and let that force drive you. If there's one thing I've learned from Frisk and Undyne, it's that."

Iris looked at Tripp, sniffled and wiped her tears with her sleeve. "You're right."

"Everything will be okay, Iris. Just breathe." Tripp said, his voice like honey.

Iris nodded. She was okay, for now. But she refused to let that be it. Later that night, Iris snuck down the stairs to the lab and didn't think to turn on the lights. She knew where the creature was kept by heart, and she made a beeline for its enclosure. The key was hidden in an obvious place, right underneath a figurine of Naruto. And in a few movements, verified as valid with cheery clicking sounds, Iris opened the door to the Amalgamate's cage. It was sleeping in a curled up ball. It only ever slept when Frisk had been there. Its eyes opened at Iris' entry. "If you want to get to Alphys, you'll have to go through me," Iris said to provoke it.

The Amalgamate unraveled and towered over Iris, its eyes the only clearly visible thing to see besides the dark silhouette of its form. "You're giving me a chance to kill your mother? How stupidly confident you are." It growled. Iris clenched her fists, which glowed with a light blue aura similar to Undyne's spears. The Amalgamate grinned and clawed Iris in the arm. She wailed in agony and clenched it, but threw a punch to the Amalgamates jaw. She had to be strong enough to beat it this time. This time, for sure.

Suddenly, the lights in the Lab flickered on. Iris paused and turned to where the light switch was. There, in her orange goldfish pajamas, was her mother, Undyne, eyepatch and all. She looked genuinely surprised. "Iris?"

Iris looked to Undyne. "Mom? Look, I can explain-"

"Iris!" Undyne called, running towards her daughter, summoning a blue spear, but it was too late. Iris felt the weight of the Amalgamate knock her to the ground, knocking her out completely. There was nothing but complete blackness, muffled shouts and roars, and pain.

Lots and lots of pain.

* * *

 **DON'T WORRY BOTH UNDYNE AND IRIS LIVE**

 **Just wanted to get that out there before people review.**

 **Iris has a lot of scars, and this really isn't her first concussion (Which she ends up having). However, she does get her eye scraped out like Undyne's in a later chapter...but not by the Amalgamate. Someone much more, familiar. Someone with big eyes.**

 **Okay going right down the line.**

 **Flora is a very...well, determined person. (Although red is not the color of her soul.) She has a dream, and it is literally her main purpose in life. The thing she thinks about whenever she feels hopeless. That being said, she wants to get a leg up. She learned how to write and compose and arrange, and she created the idea for her final college animation in high school. Too bad, Narcissus got it first. Narcissus is WAY more determined than Flora. So much so, that she completely discarded the concept of friendship to be a grumpy, stressed out perfectionist who only wants to impress her father Mettaton. As for being a parent, Mettaton is actually kind of bad at it. He never really gave Narcissus any love, which left her desperate to impress HIM and only HIM. A widely discarded theory for the cause of autism is the "refrigerator mother" theory, meaning that autism is caused by a lack of maternal affection during childhood. I'm not necessarily saying Narcissus has autism, but if this was before the theory was discarded, Mettaton could very easily be considered a refrigerator parent. Who could blame him? Ever since he got to the Surface, he's been trying to establish himself and keep himself established. However, this is only a factor of her narcissism, others include constant reinforcement from Papyrus and the possibility of her having NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder).**

 **Sorry, psychology is one of my secret interests. I ramble sometimes.**

 **I also thought about her name. Narcissus. I mean, who would name their child that? (Then again, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin have a daughter named Apple. :/) It'd have to be a nickname and a rather mean one at that. Papyrus wanted to keep his daughter's name a family name, so what better way to do it than to combine names! (I mean, Toriel and Asgore did it, so why can't they?) Happstablook (Mettaton) and Papyrus mix to make PapstaBlook, later nicknamed Narcissus Blook. It stuck, and it shall stick, for the rest of her stressed out life. She really doesn't mind, but it sometimes adds to the fact that she doesn't really like who she is, and that her personality is something that is really hard to change.**

 **On to Iris. She has some issues. Ah, if only Willow knew that the confident soldier she dreams about was actually just as anxious as her. Just like Frisk said, she worries _greatly_ about Alphys. Undyne and Iris share a hatred towards the beast, and they just want to kill it and move on, but Alphys and Frisk _really_ don't want to kill it. That being said, Iris just wants to punch it the face. She gets those "manly urges" when she's scared or angry. My friend said that urges like those make you kind of stupid and do stupid things. Yeah, I think I agree with that. Oh my goodness I almost forgot something. TRIPP. Who the heck is he? Tripp is the son of the two Royal Guards in Hotland. They said to use my imagination, and I did. They were probably the first to get married out of all the couples that left the Underground. Ever since then, that family has been living across the street from Undyne, Alphys, and Iris. Think of Tripp like the "boy next door" who's always been there for Iris. Willow gets just as jealous around him as he does when Iris hangs out with Narcissus. **

**REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED AS ALWAYS and this will probably be the last thing I post before the hiatus. I won't be able to write or beta read, but everything else I can do. :)**

 **Have a great summer!**


	9. Comfort

The hospital can either be the happiest or the saddest place on Earth. Depends on one's memories. Narcissus had been the last one to visit Iris that day. She felt bad, since she cared deeply about her, but her father was first, and she was a slave to her own ambitions and goals. It was dark, since the lights go out after dinner. The only noise was the shuffling of nurses in the night and the familiar, staccato, clicking of Narcissus' footsteps.

Iris was in a daze. Not quite asleep, but not quite awake either. Just sitting against the propped up part of her bed, curled up in cheap hospital blankets. She wasn't allowed to sleep, due to the concussion she got from the Amalgamate she fought the night before. Covered by her hair was a large gash stretching from near her scalp, past her ear canal and down her neck. One of the biggest scars she had ever gotten.

Narcissus knocked three times on the sliding glass door to Iris' room, pulling her out of her trance. "Can I come in?" Narcissus asked, her voice muffled through the door.

Iris nodded, looking down at the hospital bed. As Narcissus slid the door open, stepped in, and shut it, Iris spoke quietly. "I was wondering when you'd come."

"Heh, sorry. I had play practice. How are you feeling?" Narcissus asked, stopping and standing beside the bed. Iris hated it when Narcissus towered over her. She was more her level when she didn't have the body, now she just made her feel small with her tall, mature and beautiful form, when all Iris had was her brute strength and pathetic scars to offer for anyone.

"Still hurts." Iris mumbled.

"Let me take a look." Narcissus brushed Iris' hair aside to look at the clotted, yet still dark red gash. Iris winced as she traced it with her fingers. "Sorry." Narcissus pulled back. "I've just never had a wound before."

"You've seen all mine though." Iris shrugged, refusing to look Narcissus in the eyes.

"Haven't touched them." Narcissus said. There was a heavy, awkward silence. A rest in between moments that hung over the two friends like a fog or a thundercloud too close to Earth. "There's more than physical hurt, Iris. Are you finally going to get help?"

"Help? I don't need help. You need it more than me." Iris replied bluntly.

"You're projecting."

"Fine. Yes, I'm going to the psych ward tomorrow. Happy now? My parents sure are, and Frisk."

"Of course I am. What kind of person would I be if I wasn't?" Narcissus asked.

"I don't know, someone like you." Iris snapped. Narcissus' eyes widened. She clenched her fist before catching herself and sighing.

"Think whatever you like, just know it isn't true." Narcissus said. "I've been thinking lately. Maybe I do need help, just as much as you. I don't have any friends, and I'm starting to think it's my fault. All this time trying to make up for my dad's actions, I ended up becoming him in a way. I want to start over, especially with you. Do you think that maybe, if we get help together, and help each other along the way, we can both come out stronger?" Iris still didn't look at her. She just stared across the room. Narcissus was starting to get desperate. "Please?"

"Yes. You've grown up. Now you have to help me do it." Iris said as she looked up at Narcissus with an expression that shined layers of sadness.

Narcissus nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. Iris noticed the weight her body had on the mattress. It was something she never associated with her. She always just floated, helpless to hug, caress, or have any physical meaning to Iris whenever she needed help when they were younger. "You've grown up too, Iris. You can get through your past, I can't. You can be an unconditional friend to anyone who needs it, I can't. You even realized how horrible a friend I was to you back then, and you gave me the treatment I deserve." Narcissus said.

"You're wrong. I'm hurt, Pap. I'm scared. I ruined my body with scars. I hurt my family and friends and made them all worried about me, just because I couldn't grow up." Iris' eyes welled with tears, her voice cracked and broke as she spoke. "On some stupid impulse, chasing a high that I created out of rage, I further depressed my mom. I'm selfish, and now thanks to me, she might die." Iris looked away from Narcissus for a split second before throwing her body onto hers with a hollow clanking noise. Narcissus fell back into the bed with Iris' weight, but she quickly wrapped her arms around Iris' small body. Iris didn't care if Narcissus' body was hard, metallic and hot with electrical heat. It was something to hug. She could finally cry on her friend's shoulder.

Narcissus was shocked by the sudden emotional gesture her friend had acted. In just two days, she changed just a bit, and made two good friends. "Iris." She said quietly, wrapping her arms tighter. She had never felt someone else's presence before. Hugs were an alien sensation.

"Did I mention how happy I am that you're corporeal?" Iris said, her voice pressed into Narcissus' chest.

Narcissus smiled for a second, then her face fell back into the surprised, confused, yet serious expression it was before. "Iris, look at me. There's a lot I could say, but this isn't your fault, none of it is."

Iris pulled her face out of Narcissus's chest and looked her in the eye. Narcissus had to strain her neck to look down at the amphibian laying on her. "Then who's is it? Huh? Who's is it?" Iris snapped.

"I...I don't know."

"You don't know, well that's helpful!" Iris said sarcastically.

"It certainly isn't yours! You don't have to have someone to blame. Having someone to blame just makes it seem easier to leave behind. If your friend gets murdered, does it matter who did it? They're still dead! The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can get back to being useful to everyone, instead of moping and sitting in the hospital!" Narcissus replied.

Iris' eyes widened before she rested her head on Narcissus' chest again. "I guess you're right."

"I'm always right."

Iris laughed. "Always?"

Narcissus sat up on the bed, still holding Iris. "Always."

Iris chuckled softly. "Maybe sometimes, but not always."

Narcissus laughed. "That's what I get for being your friend, huh?"

"Narcissus." Iris' tone grew serious and dismal again.

Narcissus panicked inside. "What? Was it something I said?" She lifted her hands off Iris' back for a second.

Iris, meanwhile, clutched her tighter. "You know, I was dreading you coming here, but now, I'm just really glad you came."

"Oh. I...Thank you." Narcissus stuttered.

"No. Thank you."

* * *

"You really are no different than them." Toriel's voice was shaky. Frisk looked on to the face of his monster mother, stained with splattered blood from the cut that sliced through her chest and abdomen and ash from her fire magic. She held a grim smile, her gaze not moving from her killer. For Frisk, it was like being locked in, no voice to tell her that they were sorry, that it wasn't them. No, they could just feel the sweat on the knife handle and the blood dripping down their cheeks and on their clothes. "Ha...Ha..." With those weary laughs, Toriel disintegrated to dismal white dust that blew onto Frisk's clothes, skin, and into their hair. All that was left was her shaking white soul, which split in half and shattered to join the dust on the floor.

Chara's laugh echoed in Frisk's ears as they sat up in bed. It was so typical to be tortured like this, but it still brought them to tears. They curled up, knees tucked into their chest. They rested their head in their hands and sobbed. "Please, just stop. Just let me sleep."

Frisk felt Chara stirring within them. The two spoke in thoughts. "You're _crying_? Come on, now you're just wasting water. Pathetic." Frisk didn't respond. They didn't even look up from their wet hands. "Okay, I get it. That route was a little sadistic, but that was _you_ , Frisk. _You_ did that. It was your own hands that held the knife."

Frisk sniffled hard. "Why are you here? Admit it, you lost. Just leave."

"Even with you I'm not wanted? You're stuck with me, Frisk. Get used to having your life interrupted. It was you who wanted to jump down that nasty hole, just like me. Remember that you made your choices a long time ago." Chara said through Frisk's thoughts. "Why'd you want to jump anyway? What are you running from, besides me? Don't you just want to kill the people who led you to jump? Doesn't vengeance burn in that soul of yours? Your determination. It's unstable."

Frisk closed their eyes tighter. "Leave. Just go. I won't give you an answer."

"No. You're too important. I'll get it out of you, someday. I won't ever leave." After those words, Frisk felt something of a presence sitting next to them. Sure, it wasn't the best person they wanted to sit with them, but there was a strange comfort in having a spirit by your side, even if it was their sole purpose to torture you. Frisk managed to silence their tears with Chara beside them, and go back to sleep.

"It's nice having me as a friend, isn't it?"

Frisk's eyes snapped open.

"It can be like that all the time. Just say the word."

Frisk closed their eyes and tried to shut that voice out. It was nightlong struggle, but violent sleep is better than none.

* * *

 ** _One is never truly alone if there's demons beside them._**

 **Okay, going right down the line. After the event of the Amalgamate fight, Iris spends a few days in the hospital to recover. No one died, not even the Amalgamate, and Iris was the only one in any sort of critical condition with her concussion. However, this revealed her self-destructive tendencies and thus, made everyone worried about her. Something Iris really doesn't want. Back when they were really young, younger than now, like around middle school, Iris and Narcissus had something of a falling out right before Narcissus left for her father's tour. The first scene is something of a reconciliation where they recognize each other's faults. Their relationship becomes very intimate after that. Like friends with benefits, since they go see a psychiatrist at the same hospital and keep each other in check. If Narcissus is rude or narcissistic, then Iris scolds her lightly, and Narcissus keeps Iris out of fights and dangerous situations, as well as gives her encouragement of her self-worth. And for that purpose, they follow each other around.**

 **I imagine Chara as an imaginary friend, a hallucination, above all else. They can talk to any human, since any human can fall to the curiosity and lust of genocide. However, since Frisk is sort of the chosen one (I hate using that term but that's what they are.), Chara has a fascination with them. Also, determination is kind of the most unstable of the soul powers, it can be easily used the wrong way. (You can be determined to save everyone, but you can also be determined to kill everyone.) Chara is almost always buzzing in Frisk's ear, tempting them and giving them advice and torturing them with visions of genocide at night. (Poor kid has a bit of an addiction to caffeine at this point.) However, it's better to feel fear and depression than nothing at all. it's almost comforting, knowing that there's** ** _something_** **there, and not just you.**

 **REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED!**


	10. Tension

It was all coming together. The orchestra quickly figured out the score, the actors practiced their lines and lyrics until they embodied the script themselves, and the set broke boundaries that would dwarf all other school plays in the area. Narcissus was particularly pleased, but just as stressed and perfectionistic as she was on the first day, if not more.

Flora was happy as well. She liked seeing the story she created come together so nicely, and she was proud of the backgrounds she and another human painted. With the orchestra practicing below the stage where they were working, Flora no longer needed earbuds. She felt her heart rise and soar as the music swelled in a grand crescendo, only for it to be interrupted by the loud, metallic clapping of Narcissus. "QUIET!" She snapped. "Great job, but quiet!"

"What is it now? Nothing ever satisfies that girl." The girl Flora was working with on the backdrops whispered. Everyone called her Tiger. She was a brave, outspoken individual who rivaled Narcissus when it came to fashion with her short, ombré hair, ripped jeans and tees that were tastefully faded, along with her multiple piercings and almost always perfect makeup. The two things that Flora thought of most when Tiger came to mind, though, was her easily enviable artistic ability and the bright, orange heart on her chest that Flora could always see. The two girls turned to see what Narcissus wanted.

"You!" Narcissus pointed a long finger at a small, white, dog monster working on a giant dragon prop for one of the final scenes. It was the pride of the play, with real fire-breathing capabilities thanks to Willow manning the creature from the inside. (It was the only way to get her to participate.) "Yes, you there!" Narcissus strutted over to the prop. "Look at this! Do these look like real scales to you? And why on Earth did you pick that shade of green? It's indescribably hideous!"

The dog shrugged, his tongue dangling out of his mouth. "You approved of it yesterday, Ms. Director Blook, ma'am."

"Now we're going to have to repaint it again! Chop, chop! This isn't going to be some mediocre production!" Narcissus announced triumphantly.

Iris darted across the stage to Narcissus from the wings, looking like she just ran a marathon. Everyone had noticed that Iris was more keen on following Narcissus around the whole day, the past few weeks in fact, and both girls didn't seem to mind. Only Flora was watching now as she stopped beside Narcissus, panting. "Pap! You have to slow down! My legs are too short to keep up!" Iris said.

"Nonsense! You're one of the track team's biggest stars!" Narcissus replied.

"Not just that. I had to comfort Tom. You shouldn't...give me a second to breathe...You shouldn't just kick people out of the play like that. Toriel insisted that everyone who wants to participate can! You can't fire people!" Iris scolded. "More importantly, it hurts their feelings when you yell at them!"

"So what if a few people cry? That's _showbiz_ , baby!" Narcissus shouted, smiling.

"Narcissus." Iris said scoldingly.

Narcissus' eyes moved to the floor and her shoulders slumped. "Right, sorry."

"'Ey. Flora, you don't want to get fired too, do ya?" Tiger's voice interrupted Flora's eavesdropping.

"What?" Flora turned to Tiger, who was still painting the backdrop. She had an impatient look in her face. "No, no, of course not." Flora went back to painting.

"Aren't those two your friends? What's going on with them?" Tiger asked while painting. "Are they a couple?" She whispered.

"I don't think so. I never saw them that way. Then again, I don't know them like the back of my hand or anything." Flora shrugged.

"How about you? Do you like any of them?" Tiger asked, nudging Flora with her elbow.

"What? No!" Flora said, flinching slightly at Tiger's nudge. "I mean, platonically, yeah, but anything other than that? Nah."

Tiger smirked. "A'ight."

Just then, Narcissus tapped on Flora and Tiger's shoulders simultaneously. "Iris and I are going to be leaving soon, so I'm leaving Frisk in charge. You two can go. This is the last backdrop, right?" Flora and Tiger nodded. "Good."

"Alright, we get to leave early!" Flora smiled and high-fived Tiger.

* * *

Flora had not had an official "date" with Quinn yet. She noticed that they were the quiet type, who was only ever there just because Frisk was there too. They just read out of the same book and observed when things happened. They never reacted, just observed. Since Quinn was often busy with their work with Alphys, Flora and Quinn agreed to just have them walk her home, since her house is on the same route to Undyne and Alphys' house. After play practice, Flora walked out of the school to see Quinn, sitting up against the skeleton head topiary, reading the same old, leather-covered book. Since it was almost winter, the sky was a dark, cloudy, grey and the wind blew through the leaves of the topiary, whipped Quinn's fur and nipped at Flora's clothes and skin. She approached the goat monster, who wore simple jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt. Quinn's eyes wandered from the worn pages of their book to Flora. "Oh, hey. Ready to go?" They asked coolly.

"Yeah." Flora said, her arms wrapped tight around her chest due to the cold.

Quinn got up quickly and the two started on their way. Quinn eyed Flora from the side and noticed her gait was no longer an obvious limp. "It's healed, yes?"

"Hmm?" Flora perked up at Quinn's voice. "Yeah. I'm glad. It's not too painful, either. Just a little ache." It was quiet again. Just the sound of their footsteps and the occasional car passing by on the street near the sidewalk. The buildings looming over them cast an even darker shadow on Flora and Quinn than the clouds.

Quinn, not a follower of social cues, decided to talk to themselves. Maybe having their thoughts out loud would help them better understand them. "We'll be passing by that house soon. The small one with the yard full of weeds. I expect nothing more from a house in this neighborhood. However, it's peculiar. There's someone in there, a human female, who I heard howling the last time I walked this route." They began. It was as though Flora wasn't even present.

Flora listened, but didn't act like it. She recognized who the woman was immediately. It was her mother, and that house was hers. Her mother was always disconnected from the world around her. She avoided all contact besides that with her daughter, and Flora was responsible for taking care of her most of the time.

"I have a theory. She hears voices, most likely. She was screaming, telling them to stop. If it's not some brain anomaly, there's another soul in her body. She was born with two or maybe more. I can take out the extra soul, and use it for other projects. She is cured, and I get a soul. It's a win win." Quinn said.

"Wait. Another soul? What do you mean?" Flora asked. She stopped on the sidewalk.

"You see the little glowing hearts on humans? Those are souls. They are the very culminations of our beings. Most people only have one, and it would take the soul of every monster to equal the power of one human soul. That woman may have multiple, and they're all fighting for control of her body. If only I could operate on her..." Quinn explained. Both of them started walking again.

Flora decided to keep quiet about who the woman was, knowing that Quinn couldn't possibly operate on her since they weren't even legally qualified. She was also somewhat glad she wasn't just seeing things when she noticed the glowing hearts on every person, human or monster, she saw. "So this soul business, that's what you're into, right? Would that make you a scientist or a witch?" Flora asked.

"I dabble a little in both." Quinn smiled. "But I prefer not to give myself a label. I just help people and near them closer to the truth. I'm a seeker of honesty and innovation, if there's a condensed word for that."

Flora nodded understandingly. "Hey, do you like Harry Potter?"

Quinn chuckled. "Yes. I've read all the books. I'm a Slytherin."

"Oh. I've just seen the movies. I took the Pottermore quiz though, and I'm RavenClaw." Flora said. She was thankful that the walk was no longer awkward. The conversation was making her forget that they were nearing Flora's house, which means getting deeper into dangerous territory, especially for a monster like Quinn.

"Hey, you two!" A voice called from behind them. It was an angry, deep voice, but before Flora and Quinn realized what was happening, two, beefy arms wrapped around Quinn's neck and dragged them to the ground. It was a human man, around early 30's wearing a simple tee shirt, sweatpants, and a brown beanie with a small hole in the back where you can see his slicked back, greasy brown hair. Flora was hesitant as she watched the guy pin down Quinn's arms. Quinn didn't fight back. They didn't even grit their teeth at their offender. "What are you doing walking here, hmm? Savage? That's right, I heard you talking about souls with your lady friend. Want to make a trade, do ya? More so a steal! I won't let you rape this woman of her life, monster!" The human man growled before socking Quinn thrice in the face.

Flora, being the only one standing up, took the moment in which the attacker had tunnel vision on Quinn to kick him off of her friend and onto his back, where she stomped on his stomach. There was reluctance in those first two movements. The common hesitance of a scared animal in its first defense. In the moments Flora thought the attacker was down, she bent down to Quinn's aid, who wasn't hurt too badly, a few bloody scratches from the rings on the attacker's fingers. They didn't say anything, they just sat up and watched with a strange calm in their eyes.

It was not over. The man got up, although weary and clutching his stomach. Flora stood up quickly, and was no longer afraid of the opponent before her. Something was stirring within her, within her soul. As she stared down the man, everything seemed to go black and white except from the yellow heart on him and the dark, pounding, purple heart on her chest. He was no longer a threat, but a tedious obstacle. A voice in Flora's head that was not recognizable whispered. _In my way. Let's make him pay, shall we?_

Flora mumbled under her breath. "Yes." In a single sprint, Flora dodged the man's punches and upper-cut his jaw with a strong, solitary blow, all powered by adrenaline. The man staggered, discombobulated. Flora looked back at Quinn before running. "Come on!" She shouted.

Quinn was surprised, but thankful that Flora had the guts to defend them. They got up and followed them in a dead sprint. Once a few blocks away from their attacker, Flora and Quinn slowed to a walk. Flora eventually halted. She turned to look Quinn in the eye. Quinn wasn't sure what to say. They rubbed the back of their neck awkwardly. "That was a close one, heh."

"That's all you have to say?" Flora was still fired up from the fight. "You couldn't have defended yourself? Not even a little? Why didn't you fight? Hmm? Are you and I not worth defending? We are innocent, aren't we? I mean, what was that guy's problem, anyway?"

"I couldn't fight." Quinn said, their voice quiet.

"Yes, you could! Look at you! You have fangs and claws and fire magic, and you're way more muscular than me!" Flora shouted, gesturing to Quinn's visible fangs, claws, and muscular arms. "Heck, you're the creature that we feared hid under our beds for centuries! You should've burnt that dude to a crisp instead of sitting there and letting me punch him in the face and run!"

"I can't fight anyone! I'm the child of the King of Monsters and the sibling of Frisk, the ambassador for human/monster relations! My family has a reputation to uphold. I've tarnished it enough single-handedly. If word got out that I was seen walking a human home, talking about souls, and then I blatantly attacked another human? It doesn't matter who struck first. Monsters will still be further discriminated against." Quinn argued, baring their teeth.

"You still should have done something. Reputation doesn't matter in a situation like that. Someone like you should especially know the basic instinct to fight for your survival." Flora said, crossing her arms. "You seem to have that fighting instinct now."

"I'll have you know that humans are scientifically stronger than monsters. I can die with a tap on the shoulder. You can get shot multiple times and still fight. You fought a war with my kind and won by a landslide. You annihilated us with your brute strength and left us to be petrified of you under that mountain for centuries. Yet here we are, and you make us look like savages, beasts, forces to be afraid of and killed on sight. It doesn't matter who did what, or who is superior. Humans kill to kill and fight to fight. Defense and offense are just words to make it seem okay." Quinn said. It was the first time Flora noticed that the goat monster was taller than her. They loomed threateningly over her.

Flora was speechless. Well, almost speechless. "I...uh...always hated humanity for that." Flora avoided Quinn's intense gaze.

Quinn stared at Flora for a few extra seconds before smiling lightly. "Hmm. You remind me of someone. Come, your parents are probably worried about you."

* * *

 ** _*Aren't you curious? Curious to see what would happen if you hit him just a little harder in the chest? Yes, you should be..._**

 **Going right down the line: It's been a few weeks since Iris' hospitalization, and the play is almost ready, seeing that Narcissus tries to get the crew to work on it every chance she can. Iris gets a little tired of following Narcissus around, but Undyne sees it as good training and Alphys thinks that having Narcissus help Iris and having Iris help Narcissus is a great thing.**

 **Ah yes, hello Quinn, long time no see. They're gonna play a big part in upcoming chapters. For now, there's this. If it weren't for Frisk, Quinn probably wouldn't have a lot of friends. Let's be truthful. If you asked most of the other characters, they'd say they were creepy. Pfft, but I'll go into that later. They don't even have a great relationship with their adopted father, Asgore. Asgore adopted Quinn because he wanted a monster to inherit his throne once he retires, but when he presented this opportunity to Quinn, they refused, and came out as genderfluid a few days later. Toriel accepts them and loves them unconditionally but Asgore is kind of on the fence.**

 **Onto the attacker, I mean, what was that guy's problem anyway? Well, Okay some background. I had a headcanon that human/monster relationships are EXTREMELY TABOO in modern Surface society. (It may count as bestiality for some religious nuts.) Fun fact, there is an ancient fairy tale lost to the storms of time about a human man and a monster woman falling in love and giving birth to hybrid offspring, a daughter, who after the parents died and could no longer protect her, was crucified and burned at the stake for who she was. (Ooh I might write a story about this later.) But humans have seen monsters as soul-stealing demons ever since before the war, which leads to some discrimination. In fact, some humans have irrational fears of monsters and can't stand to be near them. Long story short, monsters are gonna take a while to integrate into human society.**

 **This dude on the street goes for Quinn first, since they're the minority here. (Sorry but it's true.) However, they don't strike back. They are Asgore and Toriel's son and Frisk's adopted sibling, despite forsaking their father Quinn still cares about their family. They can't just hit another human. Quinn sees violence as irrational anyway, and despite their scary appearance, they wouldn't fight anyone that often. Like once in a blue moon.**

 **Flora on the other hand, right hooks that sucker because he has no place to make such accusations that they are DATING, one. Two, who the hell just engages in a fight like that? In that quick instant that Flora knocks the guy out with a powerful blow to the head, a primitive thirst for blood ignites in Flora's head, and someone awakens, and it ain't just Flora's perseverance. (I'll discuss perseverance in a later chapter.)**

 **Also random question of the day for reviewers, do you have any ships for this story? I'd love to hear your ideas. :)**

 **REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED AS ALWAYS AND I'll see you next time!**

 **(Ugh I'm making this story way more serious than it was meant to be...)**

 **(Oh well.)**


	11. Hearing Voices Pt l

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Frisk asked as Quinn stuck multiple wires all over Frisk's naked body. They were connected to machines meant to measure Frisk's brain and bodily activity while they slept. Quinn had stolen the equipment from Dr. Alphys and hooked it up in their bedroom, using most of the electricity in the house.

"Nope." Quinn smiled. "This is meant to help you, so don't complain." Quinn put the last wire on Frisk's face. "There we go. Now sleep, and these machines will measure your brain activity, heart rate, all that good stuff. And I promise I'll stay awake this time."

"Okay." Frisk got under the covers of their bed, minding the wires of course.

"Hope you don't mind that I'm watching you sleep." Quinn said as Frisk closed their eyes.

"We share a room, I've caught you watching me at least three times." Frisk said, not opening their eyes but smiling nonetheless.

Quinn chuckled. "You have a point. Just, sleep now, okay? Good night, Frisk."

Frisk had a talent of falling asleep quickly. Maybe that's because they were always deprived of it due to the nightmares. Nonetheless, all external stimuli disappeared into the endless blackness of the dreamscape.

* * *

After stealing Frisk's kill, Asgore, Flowey appeared to face them. "See? I never betrayed you! It was all a trick, see? I was waiting to kill him for you! After all, it's me, your best friend. I can be of use to you! I promise I won't get in your way! I can help! I can... I can..." Flowey stuttered, sweating and trembling, a nervous smile across his face. "Please don't kill me!" He pleaded. Frisk could recognize Asriel in his voice, but it didn't matter. Frisk's thoughts didn't matter as Chara took full control and sliced through Flowey until there was nothing left, not even dust.

The scene faded to black.

"He said it himself. Creatures like us wouldn't hesitate to kill each other if they got in each other's way. And oh, he got in my way a long time ago." Chara whispered, their voice merged with that of Frisk's. Frisk couldn't see them this time, but they could imagine the glare on their face and the penetrating gaze of their blood red eyes.

"Asriel did what he had to. The least you can do is forgive him." Frisk said quietly.

"Forgive? Ha, ha, ha!" Chara cackled. "You idiot! When have I ever been known to forgive? I haven't forgiven him, I haven't forgiven humanity, and I never will!"

"Of course not." Frisk muttered.

"Wake up, Frisk. Wake up and cry. They're watching you. Why do they keep pursuing him? They're his only hope, sure, but you keep them from him. Oh, how conflicting! You love Asriel, yet you love Quinn too! Don't worry, all three of you will be dead soon enough. You'll see." Chara said.

"No, we won't." Frisk said, clearly annoyed.

"Do you think you're stopping me this way? I have an ace up my sleeve...sure, it's weak, but with the proper mindset, it might just be strong enough to outlast your determination. 'Till then!" Chara said.

* * *

Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Frisk! Frisk, wake up! Your heart is pumping faster than a rabbit's!" Quinn shook Frisk, who sat up suddenly and wrapped their arms around them. Quinn was taken aback, but quickly caught their bearings. "Frisk, what happened in there?"

Frisk buried their face deeper in Quinn's chest. "Don't do anything stupid, okay? Don't die. I don't want anyone to die." They said through tears.

"Oh...I...okay." Quinn said quietly and awkwardly. "Did you see them? Chara?"

Frisk nodded. "I always see them."

"Who'd you kill this time?"

"Flowey."

"What?"

"They're going to want to kill Asriel if you give him your soul. It's just another reason not to. Don't go near that flower. Ever. For me." Frisk said, still holding tightly onto Quinn. Their tears stained Quinn's lab coat and dampened their fur.

There was a lot that could've been said on Quinn's end, but they simply replied with, "Okay."

* * *

It had gotten noticeably colder outside, seeing that it was late autumn. For gym class that day, it was the end of the fencing unit, meaning a final exam. Undyne believed on exemplifying a real battlefield for this exam, particularly one that takes place in the thick forest outside Mt. Ebott, which was coated with a light blanket of frost. Most of the students were shivering in their gym clothes, but Undyne didn't care. She handed each of them a rapier and expected them to put on a show.

"Alright, class! For your final exam, I will divide you into partners, pit you against each other, and send you out into the forest from different points. Find each other, create and use tactics to defeat your enemies using the things you've been taught. I stole some cameras from my waifu, Alphys, and have placed them all over the forest. Every move will be documented. So, without further ado, let's get started!" Undyne announced proudly.

"This is just like anime! Do we get to watch?" Alphys asked Undyne quickly, tugging at her partner's pant leg. She had volunteered to help drive teams to different starting points in the forest.

"Of course." Undyne smiled.

"Heh, it's cold out here, huh?" Quinn leaned over to Flora, who had been stand-offish all day.

"You are literally a living Lambie, shut up." Flora growled. She had her arms crossed tightly to keep warm.

"Okay, geez." Quinn said, lightly chuckling.

Undyne began announcing the many teams, among them Flora's friend Tiger, paired with Monster Kid against obviously reluctant partners, Willow and Narcissus. Narcissus shot a glare at Willow, who blushed and avoided eye contact. Flora was paired with Tripp, who awkwardly chuckled when Flora looked to him. Against them was Iris and Quinn, a practical dream team. However, Flora was ready for the challenge. Alphys and Undyne began driving teams to their start points, and with that, the exam had begun.

* * *

Quinn and Iris agilely leaped over every obstacle that got in their way as they searched for their opponents, almost in sync across the damp forest.

"You know, I was hoping I would be against you." Iris said, smiling as they ran.

"Oh really? But I bet you're happy that you get to fight Tripp, right?" Quinn replied.

"Yeah, although he's easy. His parents have been training him just as much as I have been with my mom, but the difference between him and I is who our mentors are. His mentors are below mine in strength and smarts, his challenge is less than mine." Iris explained.

"Cocky, I see." Quinn said, panting a little. You could see their breath against the cold, still air. "You've been hanging out with Narcissus too much."

"She's getting better, I swear. I'm only confident about this because I know I can back it up." Iris replied.

"Alrighty then. If you say so." Quinn ended the conversation as the two kept running, quickly forming a plan to find Flora and Tripp.

Something had come over Flora since yesterday. It was a boredom with life itself, a desire to pick fights with anyone and everyone, and a disinterest in conversation. She just wanted to find and defeat Quinn and Iris, and if she had to drag Tripp along for the ride, so be it. She was silent for almost the entire exam. Tripp, meanwhile, was chatty.

"Sweet! I get Iris! Finally, we get to see who's boss! It's gonna be me, I know it. I've been training with my dads for weeks, and I finally defeated both of them yesterday! Yo, Flora, I've always been second best to Iris. She's _the_ Iris, daughter of Undyne! If I beat her in this match, not only will my grade go up, but also my reputation!" Tripp rambled, much to Flora's annoyance.

 _Not the worst partner, just clearly not focused. Shut him up._ A voice in Flora's head said, which she responded with a whisper, "Yes." Before addressing her partner. "Maybe we'd find them quicker and fight them better if you would concentrate."

"Oh, right, of course." Tripp said. "This must be so awkward for you, bro, since you're Iris' friend and all." He was slowly falling behind Flora, who had seemingly magically grown more agile.

"Just keep running." Flora grumbled.

* * *

"Yo! Tiger! Wait up!" Monster Kid shouted before falling on his face into the dirt once again with a loud "Oof!"

Tiger rolled her eyes. "Do I have to _carry_ _you_ to the battle site? This is for a grade, you know!"

"No, I got this." Monster Kid said, struggling to pick up his sword in his mouth before running after Tiger. "Undyne's gonna be so proud of us when we beat up Willow and Narcissus!"

"I wonder where they are...I hope they're close." Tiger said, glancing back at her slow partner before looking ahead.

* * *

Unlike the other teams, Willow and Narcissus were walking through the forest cautiously. Willow was naturally slow and clumsy, and Narcissus had to be mindful of getting dirt and twigs in her body.

"So, uh, Narcissus, how are you doing? I see you've been hanging out with Iris a lot..." Willow said to start small talk.

"Are you jealous?" Narcissus asked, smirking to herself.

"What? No! I know she's helping you, and I think it's great." Willow replied.

"Helping me? You must be sadly mistaken. I don't need help. It's her who needs help." Narcissus scoffed.

"Whatever you say." Willow mumbled. "But I am glad you two made up."

 _Lies_. Narcissus thought as she rolled her eyes. Willow had caught up and was now walking beside her. She had caught the eye roll and decided to respond.

"What, do you think I'm lying?" Willow asked. Narcissus was unresponsive. "Answer me! I'd like to get this over with so we can focus on the test!"

"Maybe. I always saw you as the jealous type, what with your little crush on Iris and all." Narcissus said.

"C-Crush?" Willow stopped walking. Her heart began to pound in her ears at the thought of being discovered.

"Yeah. I've seen the way you look at her. It's so longing, it's depressing to look at. The way you shamble from place to place, burdened with the realization that you've been born with no life, in society's eyes. Of course you'd be jealous of Tripp and I, because we have something to our names besides abuse and dirty secrets." Narcissus explained. She had stopped walking to talk to Willow.

"Well, at least I'm not some science experiment." Willow mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" Narcissus asked snappily.

"Nothing." Willow replied quietly.

* * *

It had started snowing again, but it did not accumulate. Iris and Quinn decided to stop and rest in a clearing. The clearing was larger than most, a patch of grass surrounded by forest. The two looked at each other as they panted.

"Dang, I figured you'd be in better shape than that." Quinn said before letting out a weary chuckle.

"Speak for yourself! I feel like we've been running for hours!" Iris replied.

Quinn looked at the small watch on their wrist. "We've only been out here fifteen minutes."

"Ugh! You know, I run at least a four and a half minute mile, on a good day."

"Yeah, and I usually take six minutes. I've been sprinting all this time!" Quinn said before noticing Tripp stalking out of the forest into the clearing on all fours. Iris and Quinn drew their swords.

"You couldn't have picked an even more awkward way to encounter us." Iris said as Tripp ran towards her.

"Oh, don't thank me. Thank Flora, she could detect you guys yards away!" Tripp said, slowing to bow in front of Iris before they began dueling with fast paced swordplay almost too advanced for the class. You could tell they had done extra training outside of class.

Flora jumped out of the bushes and instantly turned to Quinn. If looks could kill, Quinn would be killed in an instant. It was a glare, yet it was bored at the same time. Flora whirled her sword beckoningly and smiled a creepy grin.

 _*Fight._

"Yes." Flora whispered as she sprinted to Quinn, who blocked her lunging thrust with a carefully placed parry. Flora's first attacks were hacking slices with excessive effort but no skill. Looking at the state of Iris and Tripp's duel and their own, Quinn was confident that their team was going to win.

 _You're horrible, here, allow me._ The voice in Flora's head grumbled, and with that, something interesting washed over Flora. Her vision was tinted red, and her body felt limp, like a puppet, however it was still able to move and fight against Quinn. Whatever the voice did, it completely shut out Flora's independent thoughts and made her a better sword fighter, which was useful in this situation, so she didn't complain.

Flora eventually disarmed Quinn by kicking their weapon out of their paws. Although she had defeated them, she proceeded to punch them in the jaw, grab them by the horns, and pull them to the ground before picking up their weapon and pointing it at them, indicating that she had won. Quinn was stunned to say the least as they weakly stood up. Meanwhile, Iris had defeated Tripp by a landslide, making the team fight a draw. Flora patted the speechless Quinn on the shoulder. "Good fight." She said before starting her trek with the defeated and dismal Tripp back to the school.

* * *

Some days during gym class, Frisk would miss class and earn credits mentoring the kindergarteners with Toriel, who juggled the elementary as well as some middle school and high school classes. Frisk's story had become on of Toriel's favorites over the years, and the embarrassment of Toriel's proud, motherly smile as she told it had worn off on Frisk. They had also gotten used to the gasps and murmurs of the little kids when Toriel mentioned their name. Toriel sat in a wicker rocking chair while the pupils sat around her on the carpet. Frisk was on the floor right next to Toriel, and would sometimes act out their encounters on their journey.

"And if it weren't for the mercy and determination of a certain human named Frisk, the monsters still would be trapped underground." Toriel said before looking down at Frisk on the floor. As usual, the children gasped, giggled and murmured while some gawked at Frisk.

Quinn didn't want to wait to talk to Frisk, and the classroom door was open, so they saw it as an invitation to come in. Quinn peeked their head through the door, their ears dangling from their head. Frisk and Quinn met eyes, and Quinn stuck their tongue out at them. Frisk covered their mouth, trying not to giggle and blow their sibling's cover. They soon realized that that was not needed since Quinn insisted on acting out for the younger kids as Toriel narrated.

"But, little did Frisk know, many monsters would be looking to take their soul." Toriel said with an ominous tone.

"Roar! It is I! The Absolute God of Hyperdeath! All your souls shall be mine and I will reset the timeline!" Quinn jumped into the classroom, imitating Asriel, causing some kids to scream and jump while others laughed. However, Toriel was unaware of who they were pretending to be. Frisk completely lost it, bursting out laughing.

"Quinn! Don't interrupt like that!" Frisk said through laughter.

"You're right, I should interrupt more correctly." Quinn smirked before assuming a new role. "Oh Frisk!" They posed dramatically. "Don't kill, and don't be killed, okay? Always remember me as your friend so then you can swoon and cry over me while everyone's not looking! Now please, leave me to my crippling loneliness since you _clearly_ have better things to do!"

"Who are they talking about?" Toriel asked before looking at Frisk, who was a flustered, blushing mess. Meanwhile, the children laughed despite not knowing who Quinn was imitating either.

"Um...no one. No one at all. Quinn, did you need me for something?" Frisk cleared their throat and asked.

"In fact, yes. Mind if I borrow our mighty savior for a second, Miss Mumsy?" Quinn asked, turning to Toriel.

"Yes, dear." Toriel smiled as Frisk stood up, stepped over the small crowd of children, humans and monsters alike, and following Quinn out of the classroom and shutting the door behind them. Quinn leaned back against the doorway, but Frisk remained standing.

"First of all, how dare you!" Frisk said with playful anger.

Quinn chuckled. "It was a joke! I caught you daydreaming about him in science class...you almost let the chemical mixture overflow onto the desk, it was hilarious. And of course, poor Monster Kid can't help because you're his hands! Hah, hah!"

"What led you to the conclusion I was daydreaming about him?" Frisk asked in defense.

"You get this look on your face. It's like this little smile but it still looks really sad. Oh, and you get this nice redness in your cheeks. You look pretty when you daydream about him. You should wear blush all the time, it'll bring out your eyes." Quinn explained. "Narcissus is good at makeup, but she didn't want to help me so I had to use YouTube. Either way's fine-"

"Is this all you wanted to talk to me about?" Frisk said before Quinn got too caught up in their ramble.

"No. Geez, you almost made me forget. It's Flora." Quinn said.

"What about her?"

"She beat me in fencing today. It was amazing, she did all these backflips and stuff. It was only half a unit ago that she was worse than Monster Kid at fencing, and now she could beat Iris if she really tried."

"So, she's improving. Not exactly big news."

"No, that's not it. She's not just improving really fast, but her demeanor has changed. She's cold, quiet, and frankly, hungry. I catch her snacking on chocolate protein bars and lunch meat in between classes. She's getting her hair cut by Catty and Bratty this week before the play, Narcissus is taking her. You know how attached she is to her hair!" Quinn explained.

"Right, and I'm paranoid. Keep an eye on her, yeah, but don't stalk her or anything." Frisk replied casually, slowly turned towards the doorknob.

"But a two days ago she fought a human for me and said she hated humanity for being so cruel!" Quinn protested.

Frisk stopped and looked at Quinn with an expression more serious than their typical stoic one. "Watch her. Go with her to the hairdresser when she does."

Quinn nodded. "Told you it was big news."

"Still not enough to make up for that Asriel expression." Frisk said, smiling lightly.

"Hey, you gotta admit that was good." Quinn replied.

"Fine, yes." Frisk said.

"Yes! Welp, see you around, dayDREEMURR!" Quinn said as they started to walk back down the hallway.

"You're the DREEMURR, cow goat!" Frisk's voice echoed down the hallway before the sound of the door closing followed.

* * *

"GAME OVER." The video game screen read as it displayed Frisk, Sans, and Quinn's scores.

"Heh, face it, kid, you'll never beat the master." Sans said with his typical calm tone, the one that masked all emotions, including the storm inside of him.

"I'm still gonna try! I'm determined!" Frisk shouted, raising their control in the air triumphantly.

Papyrus, who was in the kitchen making pizza from scratch, chuckled before shouting across the living room. "Yes! I believe in you, Frisk!"

Frisk smiled. "Thanks!"

"New game, let's see if you can back up your words, old lady." Sans said, starting up the level again.

Papyrus liked having Frisk and Quinn over. Frisk was a good friend to him for a long time, and Quinn was polite and quiet, no hassle at all. However, they were always loud when they played on Sans' XBox, spewing curses, taunts, and puns.

"Man, if I was a poor sport, I would say you're too good at this for it to be fun!" Quinn said, not looking away from the screen.

"Aw, I'm having a blast." Sans replied as he sniped Quinn's avatar from a higher ledge in the game.

"Wha? You gotta be kidding me!" Quinn shouted in disbelief.

"You're only KIDding yourself!" Frisk shouted. "Get it? Cause they're a goat?"

"Hey!" Quinn said before laughing.

"Good one, kid." Sans said. "But not as good as this." Sans' avatar jumped from his ledge and shot Frisk's avatar, winning the game once again. "Get dunked on." Sans whispered.

"Awh! Teach me your ways!" Frisk said loudly, falling against Sans' shoulder dramatically on the couch.

"If I taught you everything I know, you'd try to kill yourself again." Sans said, his eyes turning black.

There was a short, awkward silence. So silent that you could hear Papyrus drop a bottle of spices on the floor by accident. Frisk lifted themselves off of Sans. "What?"

"Yeah, exactly. New game?" Sans asked, playing off their previous comment as though it was nothing.

"Yes?" Frisk said awkwardly, starting the game again.

* * *

 _ **Mirror, what's inside me? Tell me, can a heart be turned to stone?**_

 **Quick, guess the song!**

 **Things are building up, really, really fast.**

 **I was busy most of the Fourth of July weekend, sorry. I know, excuses, excuses. In my free time I had a little writer's block (mostly just crippling anxiety) so instead of working on this monstrous chapter I watched all three Volumes of RWBY and joined the fandom. I wrote some oneshots just in case anyone here is in the fandom. :) And honestly, the one sketch with the final exam feels very RWBY-esque to me, heh, sorry.**

 **I haven't been getting a lot of reviews lately...but still, for the people left reading this: REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED! There always room for improvement for me!**


	12. Hearing Voices Pt ll

Flora, although she didn't show it, was amazed by Narcissus' car. She had never seen the stunning black Ferrari convertible before, and she had never seen a car of that pedigree before, either. Narcissus drove it up by the school entrance to pick up Flora for their duel hair appointment before the opening night of the play.

"Heh, I've always wanted to drive this." Narcissus smiled, peeking her head out the window. "Before, I couldn't even reach the pedals!" She patted the passenger seat. "Hop in, darling!"

Flora nodded and proceeded to walk around the car, feeling the polished and painted metal as she went, and eventually got in, closing the door behind her. "Impressive." She said coldly and quietly once she got in.

"I know, right? I couldn't even ride in this when we bought it at first. I would just phase through the thing. Now, my daddy Papyrus let me _have_ it!" Narcissus stepped on the gas, propelling the two girls towards the city. The area surrounding the school and Mt. Ebott was a small suburban-rural area just outside of a large city along the ocean, where most conveniences and employment for the residents of Mt. Ebott was to be found. It was a bustling metropolis and a melting pot of both human and monster cultures. Where Narcissus and Flora were headed, however, was a small hair boutique crammed in between two skyscrapers in the heart of the city.

Flora quietly cringed at the music Narcissus had playing on the radio. It was the Today's Hits channel, yet it played hits from a few years ago. Most of it was pop, which Flora considered mostly mindless with recurring lyrics and melodies throughout the years. The song playing now was One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful".

"You don't know you're beautiful..." It sang before bursting into the chorus.

"I don't know I'm beautiful? What would you say if I did?" Narcissus talked sassily to the car radio.

"Probably say you were a narcissistic jerk who needed to take it down a notch." Flora muttered. The voice that had resided in her head liked the presence of Narcissus. They liked her moral grayness and found it agreeable.

"Exactly!" Narcissus shouted before they parked in front of the hair boutique. "We're here!" Narcissus sang before getting out of the car and striding into the shop. Flora got out and followed her, relaxed and quiet.

It was a cute little place, or at least it would be if decorated tastefully. The main room was painted a pink so neon it was tacky, messily furnished with clutter lining the walls, stacks and shelves of different hair products and supplies, some for sale, some not. The corner of the room closest to the door was the register, where the same cat/alligator mix Flora met at the Mettaton concert, Patty, was dosing off from boredom before acknowledging Narcissus and Flora's presence.

"Oh! Salutations, darlings! Miss Blook and Miss Cofvey! You're right on time! Catty will meet you right over there." Patty said cordially, pointing over to two empty barber's chairs across the room from the door. They each had their own vanities and their own hairdressers manning them. One was a purple-furred humanoid cat and the other was a humanoid alligator creature with voluminous, curly blonde hair. Flora assumed these were Patty's parents.

Flora snatched up a hairstyle magazine out of a rack as she followed Narcissus to their seats. Bratty, the alligator woman, practically pushed her into the seat, whirled her around and immediately asked her what she wanted. Flora browsed through the magazine quickly before a short A-line cut caught her eye.

Her vision tinted red as she said, "That one." And pointed to it.

"Wow, with all that, like, beautiful hair too? Are you, like, totally sure?" Bratty asked.

"I'm sure." Flora said expressionlessly.

In the waiting room waited Quinn, who had followed Narcissus and Flora there. They peeked over the Smithsonian magazine they were reading and listened intently.

"Okay. The customer is always right, of course." Bratty shrugged as she got to work. Catty, the cat creature who was working on Narcissus, already knew what she wanted. Just a touch up on her hair and makeup to make it look presentable to the guests of honor attending the play that night.

"Well, Narcissus, are you nervous for tonight?" Catty asked nosily.

"Only a little." Narcissus replied quietly whilst Catty and Bratty "aaw"ed with fake sounding pity. "I mean, I've been working for weeks, along with everyone else. My father and his manager are going to be there to assess if I have the chops to work for my dad full time next year. I feel like I've sacrificed a lot to get here, and I don't know what I'd do with myself if it all went to waste."

"It doesn't matter what they think. If you think you've worked hard and are satisfied with how it turned out, then you shouldn't be distraught if your father and his manager disapprove. What is his manager, exactly?" Flora said, almost robotically.

"She's human." Narcissus said.

"She's dead flesh. I wouldn't base your feelings on her lifeless words." Flora growled, her vision tinted red again.

"Oh. Um, thank you?" Narcissus stuttered, avoiding eye contact with Flora.

* * *

The anticipated hours were finally here. The opening night for Flora's play, _A Waltz For Every Season_ , although Narcissus took most of the credit for it since she was the director. From the looks of it behind the closed black curtains where everyone was getting ready, it was a full house. At this rate, some guests may have had to sit on the floor. Well, at least the millions of fliers Narcissus ordered Flora and Tiger to print and hang around town were worth it. Or perhaps, it was the rumor of Mettaton showing up. There certainly was a big hullabaloo about that. The minute his limousine drove up to the school, people, humans and monsters alike, were swarming the vehicle. If it weren't for his obviously not enthused manager threatening to "pepper spray the lot of them", Mettaton might've been clobbered to the ground by fans who seem to have lost all powers of self-control.

From what Flora saw from when the two star-studded attendees walked in, the manager was a fellow humanity-hater that the voice in Flora's head could relate to. She seemed to lack empathy, putting business and the pursuit of perfection above all else. Mettaton's manager was a tall, thin, clean cut human woman with bleach-blonde hair that was slicked back in the neatest bun Flora had ever seen. Flora could tell by the shininess in her face that she wore no face powder whatsoever, but her cold, gunmetal blue eyes were lathered in sharp eye makeup. However, the makeup did nothing except magnify the deadness of her facial expression. The manager sported a minimalistic fashion sense with stiff, white, slacks, a sapphire blue blouse for layering and a sharp, black blazer that seemed to have every nook and cranny pressed, ironed and folded to perfection. Her heels were also dark blue, and they intimidatingly clicked with Mettaton's on the gym floor, much like Narcissus whenever she approached.

"Psst! Flora!" The increasingly familiar voice of Narcissus whispered from behind the curtain before pulling Flora away from her peeking hole and back behind the cover of the curtains.

"What?" Flora asked, annoyed.

"Are they here? I'm assuming they're here. There wasn't a ruckus before a few minutes ago. Gah! What does she look like? Does she look nice?" Narcissus asked frenetically. Flora had never seen someone normally so secure have a panic attack. If there was no hope for Narcissus, what was there for her?

"Who, your father or the manager?" Flora asked.

"The manager, you idiot! My father is male! Why do you think he's my father and not my mother?" Narcissus whisper-shouted.

"Sorry, it's very confusing! And yeah, the manager looks like the kind of person who kills puppies for sport." Flora said.

"Oh, goodness. Flora, this better go perfect!" Narcissus whimpered in between sharp breaths. One could say she was hyperventilating.

"Why don't you go make the rounds, check up on every department? If that would make you feel better." Flora suggested.

"No! We can't keep them waiting. They'll get impatient!" Narcissus walked away from Flora, clapping her hands softly. "Okay, people, it's show time! Let's give them our best, just like we practiced!" Narcissus trotted over to stage right, where she would enter in front of the curtain to give her introduction. Just as Flora was getting up to go to her station, she saw Iris walk quickly towards her. She decided to stay and eavesdrop.

"Pap!" Iris shouted sharply from behind Narcissus, almost startling her.

"Gah! What is it? And don't call me that!" Narcissus growled.

"Take it easy, okay? You don't have to impress them." Iris said quietly, putting her hand on her metal shoulder.

"But I do! My future is riding on this, and you know it!" Narcissus snapped quietly.

"I know, but I just want you to know that, you've greatly impressed me. I'm impressed with the heights you've taken this play and I'm impressed with how much you've grown in such little time. If this whole thing with your father doesn't work out, just know that it isn't the end. If this doesn't work out, it's not the universe telling you to stop, it's the universe telling you to keep working so you can reach bigger horizons." Iris explained in the sweetest tone she could muster.

"Iris, that's really-"

"Just remember that when you feel anxious, okay?" Iris smiled softly.

"Okay." Narcissus said with not much sincerity as she pushed Iris away gently with her hand. "Get in position with the others."

Iris nodded and walked to the her place on the stage next to Tripp, her co-star and love interest in the play. She seemed dismal, mostly concerned for Narcissus. She wondered if she had even heeded her words as Narcissus stepped out on center stage and looked into the blinding spotlight to begin her opening speech. Once Narcissus walked off the stage, she went back to barking orders as the orchestra began the overture. It was a hectic start, but Flora hoped it would get more relaxed once Narcissus calmed down just a bit.

* * *

"Oh yes, it has been wonderful spending time with you, Jaune, but I must go..." Iris said distressfully before starting to walk off stage right.

Tripp followed along, acting the lines exact. "But Marina, when will I ever see you again?"

"Soon, very soon." Iris replied.

"How soon?" Tripp asked.

"Leave that to fate, for only the the red thread of true love decides our next date!" Iris shouted before exiting the stage.

Flora watched from the sidelines. She completely forgot that she wrote and composed the play in front of her, and enjoyed seeing her work being received by the audience well. Or at least, it seemed that way. Tiger was aware of Flora's general happiness and decided to do Flora's part of the work, if only for a little while. That left Flora to watch, and retreat into her own mind. But, she quickly realized that after all this time, her mind was no longer really hers.

 _Look at them. Such great actors...or perhaps there's something more there. Nonetheless, it would be amusing to tear them apart._ The voice in Flora's head said. It was calm, low, and sultry, yet raspy and breathy.

 _Tear them apart?_ Flora asked the voice. This was the first time she made contact besides yes or no answers.

 _Yes. You know what I like about this setting? They have real knives as the props. Great for a first move. It's like yelling fire in a crowded theatre. Either way, everyone's going to die. Humans, monsters, everyone. It's much more efficient. So, what do you say? Grab that dagger over there and see what happens. Don't you want to see what happens?_

 _Ye-No. No, I don't. Killing is wrong. Who are you? This isn't my inner monologue! Wait...I think I know what's happening._

Flora felt her heart pounding in her ears, her chest tighten and sweat soak her black clothes. Her breathing grew labored and quick. How could she have not seen it before? The past few days she had been following this person's orders like a puppet. Now that she realized it, now that she felt her hand itching to grab the lifeless, clean and shiny, ornate dagger on the table backstage, it was everything she had ever feared.

Her mother, the one who kept her awake with her howling cries. The one whom she had to take care of since her fear of hospitals. The one who heard voices and never knew their stimuli. This was it. It was Flora's turn to hear voices, to lose control, to sacrifice her livelihood to the beast manifesting in her brain. She had to leave backstage, before she lost what little part of herself she had left and went on a killing spree.

Flora clenched her fists and stuck her arms tightly to her sides as she weaved her way to Tiger, who was waiting for her next cue. "Cover me." Flora whispered before finding her way out of the gym through the backstage exit, passing Frisk in the process, and darting to the bathroom.

Flora put her back to the wall and slid down to the floor, where she sat with her knees to her chest.

 _Flora...Flora...Flora...Flora...Come on...You wanted this..._ The voice in Flora's head whispered. Flora couldn't tell if the voice was coming from inside or outside. It was just a part of her, in a way.

Flora covered her ears and began to cry, feeling more panicked than before. "No, I didn't! What makes you say that? Why would anyone want this? S-Stop..." Flora sobbed.

Just then, Frisk burst through the bathroom door, looking almost as distressed as Flora. They saw her crippled against the wall. "Flora! What's going on?" They asked, their voice heavy with worry.

 _Perfect..._

Flora tried to back away from Frisk, fearing that she'd hurt them, but then she realized she was cornered against the wall. "No, Frisk! Stay away, I'll hurt you!" Flora whimpered.

 _Come closer, Frisk. I don't bite...much._

"I just want to know what's happening! Even Narcissus is worried about you, and she doesn't care about anyone! Someone reported that you weren't looking too good." Frisk knelt in front of Flora and placed their hands on her knees. Their serious dark eyes stared straight into hers. "Now tell me, what is wrong?"

Flora clenched her fists, took a shaking deep breath, then released them. "Someone is...someone is...talking to me. Telling me to hurt people. Iris and Tripp...they're first. I don't know who they are, but they've been talking to me for a while." Frisk's eyes grew wide as she spoke. "And sometimes, my vision turns red and I do impulsive things. Like cut my hair."

Frisk had noticed Flora's hairstyle, and most people saw it as a form of imitation, but that didn't matter. They felt Flora's body tremble and recognized what was going on. It wasn't just a panic attack. It was much, much, more.

"Do I have schizophrenia? Like my mom?" Flora asked with shaky words.

"No. It's much worse." Frisk said, their voice heavy and serious.

 _Ah yes. Cat Food finally figured it out._

 _I am Chara, the demon that comes when people call its name. Doesn't matter when, doesn't matter where, time after time I will appear...I was already awakened by Frisk's hatred of humanity when they jumped down that nasty old hole a long time ago...but their love has not vanquished me. It never will. Now I have you, Flora, a perseverant soul to manifest. I've always wanted to experiment with different souls._

 _No...why me? And not someone else?_

 _What can I say? You're the most violent human who knows Frisk. Never mind my selection. I exist in everyone. That man you hurt yesterday? He bled out on the street. You killed someone, Flora. Hehe, you made your choice a long time ago, and everyone blamed me. Classic story. Then again..._

 _SINCE WHEN WERE YOU THE ONE IN CONTROL?_

"Flora? Flora, say something!" Frisk shook Flora slightly. They were still peeking over Flora's knees and into her eyes as she stared expressionlessly out.

Flora, her vision tinted red and body out of her control, suddenly lifted her right arm from her side and punched Frisk in the face, knocking them to the floor. Her vision cleared. Flora gasped and crawled over Frisk. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry! Are you hurt?" Flora rolled Frisk onto their back to see only a wound on their cheek and a bloody nose.

Frisk stood up and pulled Flora with them. They pressed her against the wall and held her shaking shoulders firmly in their grip. "Flora...it's not your fault. Don't apologize."

"But...but...I hurt you! And I'll hurt everyone! I'll...I'll..." Flora whimpered in between sobbing breaths. Frisk was almost too fazed to do what they were going to do. Flora's face was bright red and blotchy, her eyes swollen and bloodshot from crying. Her face was wet and so were her clothes. Her entire body was shaking, her pulse pounding, and she hyperventilated relentlessly.

"Forgive me." Frisk said quietly before knocking Flora out with a quick jab. They wouldn't let Flora fall lifelessly to the floor. They caught her and carried her bridal style out the back entrance to the school. They then took her to the Dreemurr house, where she was tucked under the Lambies of the guest room, left to be haunted by Chara in her nightmares...

* * *

 _ *****_ _ **I don't wish to hurt you in a world of someone else's imaging. Remember who I am, my full, vivid self.**_

 **Okaaaay let's chat about what just happened.**

 **Once again I am going almost completely away from canon. Sorry, sorry, sorry, I can't help it.**

 **My theory is that when Frisk jumped down Mt. Ebott, it was a suicide act, much like I imagine Chara's jump. When Frisk jumped down, they hated humanity as well for pushing them over their edge. (Therefore resurrecting Chara in their mind to forever haunt them.) However, once they met all their friends, they realized that maybe life and humanity were not as bad as they had made them out to be. While going on their journey to save everyone, Frisk saved themselves. They wear their striped sweater and long sleeves most of the time to hide their scars...and according to oblivious friends who don't know of Frisk's past, they seem to have an irrational fear of swimming pools and shorts...**

 **I learned that apparently a punch in the face can be fatal. I've never actually been in a real fist fight, thank goodness, but according to the Internet and people's experiences, a punch in the jaw can damage arteries and oftentimes people who got punched in the face fall over all woozy from the blow and crack their skulls. Although Flora and Quinn didn't know of it, that's exactly what happened to the guy that attacked them the other day, making Flora a murderer (But shh, no one has to know.) And of course, after saying, "I hate humanity." That day it was like she invited Chara into her brain and ran her a nice bath and everything.**

 **Also Chara sometimes refers to Frisk as "Frisky Feast" or "Cat Food" just to annoy them. Ever since they wandered into the pet aisle with Toriel at Walmart way back when. Ugh. Chara actually has a lot of weird nicknames for Frisk. If this was a human highschool AU with no magic or anything, I would imagine Chara to be a bully towards Frisk and their friends but secretly want to be besties with them and not know how to approach them but that's just me.**

 **Oh, and Flora did not inherit her schizophrenia from her mother. No, her symptoms are nothing like what she has. However, much like Frisk fears possession and losing control, Flora fears inheriting her mother's disease and losing control, which is why realizing Chara's presence made her panic.**

 **Okay, so I'm not getting a lot of reviews lately...is it because it's summer and everyone's too busy enjoying life to read? Eh. I'll probably still write for when ya'll get back. :)**

 **But if that's not the case, REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED!**


	13. Cognitive Dissonance

Flora remembered her clear as day. Katie Cofvey was a young woman, single, but a well-to-do and ambitious small business owner, who made a living off of her exceptional talent in pottery and other fine arts. She had a young daughter, named Flora, who she juggled with her work but somehow made ends meet. She was a perky, optimistic, and social woman, until one fateful evening after she closed her shop down for the day. The Cofvey house was small, and not in the most desirable neighborhood, but it was home to them. Curled up on their worn couch in front of the TV in their living room was Katie, with Flora laying on her shoulder.

Although Flora wasn't really into HGTV, Katie was. She had an impeccable sense of style that was always influenced by the trends in interior design featured on her shows, yet she still stayed true to her individuality. However, over the narrator's somewhat monotone voice, there was something peculiar ringing in her ears. It was indistinct whispers, from several voices at once. A polyphonic cacophony that spelled disaster. They didn't seem to slow down, nor decrease in volume. It was scary, like a thousand demons crawling up her back and whispering in her ear. "Flora...?" Katie whispered breathlessly as the voices seemed to overpower her hearing. She wasn't sure if they were from inside or outside, but she prayed they were from the outside, and that Flora could hear them too.

"Yes, mom?" Flora asked, looking up at her.

"You can hear them too, can't you?" Katie asked. "The whispers?"

"No..." Flora replied, looking at her mother with a confused expression. What whispers? She couldn't hear anything except the HGTV show on the television.

"Stay here, sweetie. Mom's just going to her room for a minute." Katie got up from the couch and speed walked to the master bedroom, which wasn't too far away. She shut the door and plopped down on her bed. She figured she was hearing things and needed to rest. Katie closed her eyes and indulged in the blackness, trying to drown out the voices.

She couldn't.

 _Get out. Get out. This is my body. No, it's mine! Kill the girl. No!_ It was like a group of people arguing all at once _._ Katieopened her eyes to see five silhouetted humans shrouded in shadows. She couldn't even tell if the people were familiar. They seemed real, not formless hallucinations.

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" Katie asked as she curled up against the headboard of the bed. She could see the shadow people stepping closer, each wielding weapons. One had a pistol, the other had a knife, two had boxing gloves and another was armed with a frying pan. They crept closer to her, whispering louder and louder...

 _Give it to us, give it to us, give it to us..._ They raised their weapons, ready to strike. Katie closed her eyes and screamed for help, which just barely reached the ears of Flora outside the room.

As the shadow people attempted to assault her, she wailed, tears in her eyes, "No!" Katie punched the air, but her fist only went through the silhouettes.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Flora asked quietly, peeking through the door.

"Go..." Katie growled. "AWAY!" She screamed, still punching the air at the hallucinations.

"Y-Yes, mom." Flora said quietly as she left her mother to her privacy...

Flora's flashback went away, as though it were a television show and there was a storm that interrupted it. To replace the scene was pure blackness, with blood red light seeping in.

In the distance, there was glowing red irises and a creepy, teeth-filled grin that could easily be confused with a sunny disposition. However, the wide eyes and smile revealed themselves to be a human Frisk's age, which is only a year older than Flora. They had short brown hair and pale skin with rosy cheeks. They wore a lime green and yellow striped sweater and brown corduroy pants. Their body occasionally twitched. Their breath was raspy and heavy. It was then that Flora realized that the person was holding a sharp knife in their right hand, had a pistol and burnt and dented frying pan strapped to their belt loop, was wearing worn, faded pink ballet slippers as well as a silver heart locket around their neck and a gray leather glove on their left hand.

"Chara..." Flora growled. "You made me this way...I'll kill you!" She screamed a battle cry and sprinted towards the figure, only to wake up seconds before she tackled them.

Flora sat up abruptly in bed only to have her lips slam against those of Quinn, who was sitting on top of her, waiting to examine her. Quinn fell backwards and hit their head on the front of the bed out of shock before sitting up and scooting away from Flora, their face a red mess. "You idiot!" Quinn shouted randomly before clearing their throat and regaining their composure. In hindsight, Flora thought their whole reaction was the equivalent of yelling 'Baka' in manga.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to! I had a nightmare, I swear!" Flora shouted in defense, blushing mostly out of embarrassment.

Quinn stood up and cleared their throat again before speaking. "Dang it. It's not a full body takeover. Frisk's out running errands. They left me to examine you, since you apparently are afraid of hospitals. Makes sense, your mother has been hiding from them her whole life. According to the small medical history I collected just from Frisk and inference, anyone would say that you inherited her schizophrenia and turned you in..." Quinn paused to allow Flora's heart to skip a beat.

"You're not planning on doing that, are you?" Flora asked with panic.

"But. But, but, but. This isn't your token voice in the head. This is Chara. Meaning, that Frisk isn't the only threat to the timeline. Everyone is, if you think about it." Quinn said. "You're also lucky I haven't told Sans, who knows what would've happened then." Quinn smiled.

"What are you going to do with me? You're going to help me, right?" Flora's eyes scanned across the room she was in. It was the guest room in the basement of the Dreemurr house, Lambies and all. She had almost forgotten that Frisk carried her there the night before. Quinn had pulled away and was now pacing in front of the bed, wearing a periwinkle blue dress with a lab coat over it. They were holding a clipboard with a notebook clipped to it. They were tapping their pen on the book impatiently, deep in thought. "Uh, Quinn? I'm waiting on treatment options here." Flora said.

"Wanna go out for coffee?" Quinn stopped and looked at Flora.

"That's your plan? How is that going to help anything?" Flora shifted the way she was sitting. "How dangerous is this, aside from the fact that it's schizophrenia?"

"Oh, it's very dangerous. Your demeanor will change the minute your conscious breaks and kill someone. And it's not schizophrenia."

"Kill someone? Well, better cancel that on my agenda." Flora said sarcastically.

"But your chances of killing someone do get higher with them inside you. It would be best to keep you in a guarded room until we figure out a way to expel them from your body." Quinn explained. Flora, however, was distracted. Chara had appeared, standing beside Quinn in a visual hallucination, twirling a knife in her fingers. It was scary how similar they looked to Frisk, especially with their fashion sense.

"Expel? Pfft, what am I? Some demon? Let's be real, there's no getting rid of me." Chara said.

"You're a believer, aren't you? Have you ever seen the show Supernatural? I think you might like it." Flora said irritably.

"That's not important right now, Chara. Get up, we're going out." Quinn took off their lab coat, set down their clipboard and slung a bright yellow handbag over their shoulder as they walked to the door to the guest room.

"But you just said to keep me in a guarded room!" Flora shouted, getting out of bed to follow Quinn. "I just went through a rather traumatic experience and you're taking me out for coffee? I need to process all of this!"

"A coffee shop's a guarded room. The shop's a room, I'm the guard. That way, we can chat. This is so exciting! Frisk never lets me talk to them through them, now I have you!" Quinn seemed delighted at Flora's predicament. A little too delighted, if you asked her.

"What makes you think I'll follow you?" Flora asked. She realized she was still wearing the sweaty, tear-stained outfit she was wearing the night before. A black tee shirt and leggings to blend in with backstage.

"If you don't come, I'll have no choice but to send you to the hospital, where your mother is." Quinn stopped in the doorway and looked at Flora out of the corner of their eye before walking out.

Flora froze at Quinn's words, then ran after the goat monster up the stairs and tugged at their sleeve from behind. "My mom is not in the hospital! She's at home! Speaking of which, I have to go back and take care of her."

"Not like this, you're not. The mother is always first to go. You're staying with us until we get this cleared up. Frisk stopped by your house to pick up some clothes and things to make you feel at home, and they found your mother, lying motionless. She didn't say anything to them. They thought she was dead and called 911. She's in the hospital and is going to stay there. Get used to it, or you're next." Quinn growled, not even looking Flora in the eye.

Flora glared at Quinn. "Alright." It didn't take long for the two of them to make it out the door, since the stairs and front door were relatively close to each other. Frisk had taken the family car, so Flora and Quinn had to walk to the bus stop near the school. The bus ride was hard that day, for a number of different reasons. One, it was crowded. the chattering and hubbub was enough to put Flora into sensory overload. The assorted smells of perfume, body odor, cigarette smoke, among other things made both Flora and Quinn gag, and Chara couldn't stand looking at the clusters of the species she hated most. Flora's first impression of Quinn wasn't a great one, and she disliked being crammed in a bus seat with the person taking her to Starbucks against her will. "If I'm really staying with you, when is Frisk going to be back?" Flora asked, having to shout over the overlapping conversations.

"Frisk, Frisk, Frisk!" Quinn snapped mockingly, getting up in Flora's face. "What, am I not nice enough for you?"

Flora flinched at Quinn's tone. "I just think,"

"You think what? Don't treat me with any more tact than you do anyone else!"

"I'm fine. I was just wondering." Flora said quietly, but just loud enough for Quinn to hear. The rest of the bus ride was silent for the two of them, which wasn't necessarily healthy for either of them. It gave them time to retreat to their own minds, which was especially dangerous for Flora, who couldn't seem to get Chara out of her head for more than three seconds.

 _You know, I can kill them first if you want. They want to die, just look at them. Suicidal, they're just scared. It'd look a lot better if it was murder._ Chara hissed in Flora's head.

 _Suicide nor murder is good. How can you compare the two? I won't kill them. I won't kill anyone._ Flora thought.

 _You just said last night you were curious. What, you'd rather watch it happen than do it yourself? Why fear the inevitable? They want to give up their soul. Put that poor creature out of its misery, or at least take them Underground, so maybe I can convince my best friend to work with me. Anyone would be good at this point. If you want to watch, then give me your soul. Do it, or I won't leave you alone._

 _No. That was a stupid thought, just like you. Get out of my head._

The bus skidded to a halt in front of a small Starbucks tucked in between two clothing stores. She had only driven by that patch of stores a few times on the way deeper into the city. Quinn grabbed Flora by the wrist and dragged her off the bus and inside. It surprisingly wasn't busy inside, so Flora and Quinn immediately went to the counter. Manning the register was a cat-like monster with white fur, but black, greasy-looking hair draping over her adorable face. She was perky and hyper, but what more could you expect from a coffee shop worker? Her ears stood on end and twitched, and she pounded her paws excitedly on the counter. Underneath her Starbucks apron, she was wearing a blue and yellow striped shirt. Thinking back to Frisk, Chara, and Monster Kid, Flora couldn't help but wonder, _What is with everyone and striped shirts?_

"Hoi! I'm Temmie, and welcome to Starboocks!" The cat monster said, barely able to control her excitement. I mean, the creature was trembling, sweating, and you could see the whites of her eyes from a few feet away. It was natural for Flora and Quinn to be concerned.

"Interesting accent." Flora muttered.

"How may I help you?" Temmie asked, pronouncing how the same way she said hi, and pronouncing help so it sounded like 'halp'.

 _If you could shut up, that'd be nice. Ugh, I hate Temmies. So obnoxious. Quinn can wait, let's kill this one first. You can jump over the counter and strangle it. Yeah...perfect. Aren't you curious to what a Temmie sounds like when it's in pain? You have to kill it to find out, hee hee!_ Flora felt Chara's presence next to her and their voice in her ear. She ignored it. "Two green teas with lemonade, please." Before Flora could even finish Temmie whirled away from the counter.

"Tea?" Quinn scoffed. "I figured Chara would go for something...sweeter."

"I'll have you know that green tea has relaxing properties, unlike you." Flora said. "And can we not talk about Chara? I mean, I know that's why you brought me here but if you bring me, you probably should be talking to me, Flora. Did you ever think that pushing my identity away and treating Chara's as top priority would actually make it more likely for me to break?"

Quinn frowned, then smirked smugly. "You're not the only one who likes pushing things to their edge." They turned, slapped Flora's back playfully and walked to a table in the center of the shop. Quinn beckoned Flora to sit in the chair across from them, and she had no choice but to obey. She sat down and started sipping her tea from her straw out of the side of her mouth, ignoring what Quinn had just said. Before she could speak, Quinn gasped. "Wait, before I forget, I have something for you to borrow...it might give you some background before I show you anything." They stuck their paw into their purse and pulled out a brown leather-covered book. They handed it to Flora before sipping their tea.

"A Prince of Blossoms." Flora read the title aloud. Flora spent a long while staring at the cover of _A Prince of Blossoms_ before finally opening it to the first page. She already had a question. "Frisk wrote this?"

"Yeah, they did. Frisk was the seventh and final human to fall into the Underground, and they documented everything when they got back. Quite the historical source, that is. I've read it cover to cover twenty-two times...maybe more."

"Wow...is that why they are training to be an ambassador?" Flora asked.

"Yep, they're the only human who made it back to the Surface after falling down, so what other human would it be?" Quinn shrugged.

"W-What happened to all the other ones?" Flora asked with a tremble in her voice.

"Keep reading, it's all there," Quinn said.

Flora slumped back into her chair and took a few seconds to read. "I already know about Asriel and the war and all that, can I skip to a different part?" She put the book back on her lap.

"You know everything, eh?" Quinn asked with a smirk on their face.

"Wow, very funny. Sarcasm, as if that isn't old. Of course, I don't know everything, but I need to know more about this Chara, is there a page on them?"

 _Pfft, is there a page on me? As if. I'm just a horrible memory, a bad dream. Oh yes, don't listen to ol' Chara, she just hates humans. I'm dead, yes, a demon, right again, but pretending I don't exist never helped anyone_. Chara was standing behind Quinn, twirling her dagger once again. She looked bored.

"I don't think so, but if you know _everything_ about Asriel, then you probably wouldn't have even asked me about Chara in the first place."

Flora scoffed. "Alright, I'll read, smart guy."

"I prefer 'smart _one_ ', just saying," Quinn added quietly.

"Leave it to you to be technical. You'll have to talk to me sooner or later. Then, I will get answers out of you, Dreemurr." Flora shot a playful glare at Quinn before continuing to read _A Prince of Blossoms._ Once Flora turned away, Quinn smiled to themselves and took another sip, sneaking glances at the human in front of them. Flora continued to the page about Flowey, and Asriel's association with him. She thought back to when she first met Quinn, and how they said her name reminded them of someone. She decided to ask another question. "Did my name remind you of Flowey, when we met?"

Quinn chuckled. "Yeah."

" _My name_ reminded you of a homicidal flower...Wow, thanks." Flora scoffed.

"He wasn't always that way, you know," Quinn said.

"I know. Why were you so interested in this book, anyway?" Flora asked.

"I wanted to know about Flowey. He interests me."

"But, why?"

"When I was a child, I saw it as my destiny to transfer my soul to his body, so that he can be Asriel again and have a second chance. I was stopped before I could really try, but I had to learn about my patient before operating, of course. I ventured into the Underground on my own, and searched for him. That flower eludes me."

"Why would you want to do that? That's suicide! All for a stupid flower, really?" Flora now knew what Frisk was talking about. The _him_ they had mentioned before.

"It wasn't just for him, it was for my mother and my father. I wanted them to have their own flesh and blood again. I wanted them to see Asriel grow up in a world where humans aren't trying to kill him. I wanted him to live a life where he doesn't have to go to hell and back for a 'best friend', like _you_ , Chara." Quinn's tone grew serious. Flora felt a threatening aura in their nature, with bared fangs and eyes full of adrenaline. It was the first time Flora had seen a monster in a scary light since she had moved there. "My life is worth it for that, a life for a life." They said. Flora was speechless. What was she supposed to say to that? "Exactly, you're speechless. No one can really be speechless, tell me what you're thinking." Quinn said.

"Wow..." Flora said as though she were holding her breath and letting it all out.

Quinn chuckled. "Quit acting like that, this is supposed to be serious. Asriel is not really a part of your problem, though. It's entirely Chara, and if we don't figure out a way to get them out of your brain, then the whole world is in danger."

"Whole world? That's a little dramatic." Flora said.

"The whole world! Gasp in disbelief!" Chara said, dramatically posing behind Quinn and falling backwards in the process. However, their body phased through the table they would've landed on.

"Well, it's true. Chara is more powerful than one would think, although soulless like Flowey. Their spirit can roam through you, and I always thought there was a little Chara in all of us. They come every time you pick desire over what's right. Every time you kill without thinking of consequences. They are the burning feeling of lust for wealth, experience, glory..."

"All of us, even monsters?" Flora asked.

"We're not as ruthless as humans, but we aren't the purest beings. My father killed six human children and tried to kill Frisk, Undyne has tried to kill them too... We think of desire over the lives of others as well, but with humans, it's a stronger influence."

"Oh...I wasn't expecting a philosophy lesson during our coffee break." Flora said before lightly smiling.

"I wasn't either until Chara camped in your head." Quinn took a sip of their tea. Flora looked away from Quinn, almost apologetically. "But I promise you this, I won't let Chara get through to you. I'll get you help, even if it means asking Frisk, Iris or Alphys, or going back to the Underground again." Quinn said, a flicker of determination in their eyes.

"Wow, you sound overzealous," Flora replied, trying to lighten the mood.

"I tend to sound that way when talking about my friends," Quinn said. "I guess human friendships aren't as compassionate, are they?" Flora blushed, rendered speechless once again. Quinn dug into their bag again and pulled out a Hershey's candy bar. "Chocolate? I got it just for the occasion." They smiled almost devilishly.

"Gimme." Flora and Chara said at the same time, snatching the candy out of Quinn's paws and opening it ravenously. "Man, I haven't eaten since last night. All this Chara stuff can work up an appetite!"

"Yes, it certainly can." Quinn said.

 _Okay, I like this guy. Don't kill them yet._ Chara said, tapping their foot loudly and impatiently. They were now standing beside Flora, like a bodyguard almost.

"Frisk says that they're allergic to this stuff. It's too bad, really. They don't know what they're missing." Flora said with her mouth full.

"They're not really allergic." Quinn mumbled.

"Why would they lie?" Flora asked.

"Chara loves chocolate. Frisk has been battling their influence for so long, and they're so scared of losing themselves that they'll do anything to have peace of mind. That's why they don't do the fencing unit every year, and that's why they are squeamish around knives. Classic avoidance behavior." Quinn leaned back in their chair.

 _It's true._ Chara nodded.

"Hmm. Interesting. What else can you tell me about Frisk? They're almost as eccentric as you, heh." Flora chuckled nervously, but was excited to be finally getting intel on the mysterious savior of monsters.

"They're almost a mirror image of Chara. Similar pasts, same soul color, same fashion sense, but different morals and ambitions. Frisk's wardrobe is almost entirely sweaters and jeans, even in the summer. They're hiding their true self." Quinn grinned creepily.

"True self?" Flora asked.

"They've got scars like nothing you've ever seen. You'd think they were part zebra or something." Quinn chuckled. "But you'll learn all that soon enough, now that you're living with us."

"What?" Flora whispered before she heard the coffee shop door slam behind their table. The door had a bell on it that ringed whenever it moved. Quinn had already detected who had entered and scrambled to hide the chocolate under the table. Frisk stopped in front of their table, looking like they had just run a marathon in their blue and pink striped sweater.

 _Well, if it isn't the Lord of Buzzkills themselves._ Chara mocked, causing Flora to laugh out of turn.

"Howdy, Frisk! How are you doing?" Quinn asked, trying not to look guilty as they clutched the half-eaten candy under the table.

"Flora, I'm so sorry. I went to your house to get some of your belongings, and I found your mother there. She was sitting on the floor in some contortionist pose staring off into space. She looked dead, so I called the police and now she's at the hospital psych wing in critical condition. But, I managed to grab some of your clothes and other stuff, so you can make yourself at home at our house." Frisk said pleadingly to Flora.

"Out of all the things that have happened recently, that's what you chose to talk about?" Quinn asked.

"Well, it's a start!" Frisk said in defense, their hands on their hips. "And might I ask why you took Flora here, of all places? Not only is the commute infested with people, but also the most popular coffee shop in town! You take Chara, the one who wants to destroy humanity, here?" Frisk face-palmed before taking a deep breath. "I have called Iris and Willow to meet us at the True Lab in the Underground, where you will stay until we figure this out."

"Yes, your highness." Quinn mumbled under their breath.

"Sorry, I'm just...feeling really panicked right now. This has never happened before. I don't even know how to approach this, to be honest." Frisk said, trying to calm themselves down. Flora and Quinn could see the fear in their facial expressions and body language.

"Well, what do you do to keep Chara away? I could just do that." Flora shrugged.

"Um...well...you see, I-" Frisk stuttered. "I can tell you that later. Not here."

"Why? Chara's right here. They can hear everything we're thinking and saying." Flora shrugged again.

Frisk could feel themselves getting more and more anxious, their face a bright red. "Let's just get out of here, okay?" Flora and Quinn nodded at the same time and stood up. Frisk and Flora started heading towards the door, and Quinn was reluctant to follow, knowing that it would reveal that they tried to tempt Flora. "And throw that chocolate away, Quinn!" Frisk scolded before exiting the shop.

Quinn sighed. "Dang it!"

* * *

It was night again, and Frisk had insisted on keeping Flora inside until they leave for the True Lab the next day. Flora found it incredibly boring, and in fact, so did Chara. However, they occupied themselves by absent-mindedly sharpening a stick they picked up in the yard on the way in with their fingernails to make a spear on the floor of the guest room, at least until Frisk walked in to tuck them into bed.

"Aw, do I have to?" Flora groaned, almost mockingly. Frisk could see her irises changing from hazel to red slowly and frowned before lifting her up by her arms and plopping her into bed.

"Yes." Frisk said. "I don't mean to be so rough with you like I have since yesterday. As much as most don't believe it, I'm really scared. If we don't stop Chara, who knows what'll happen." They sat on the edge of the bed and pulled up the blankets over Flora up to her neck.

"Why are you so worried?" Flora asked, her vision tinted red. Frisk could tell it was a Chara comment.

Frisk sighed, and only smiled slightly. "There once was a little kid. They were...lost, broken, sad, hopeless...a million other words to describe shattering under pressure. Life was a constant thunderstorm, and it left puddles of their own blood and tears until...they were drained. They fell down completely. However, a few guardian angels, a whole mountain full, saved them. The kid saved them from their troubles with wisdom that they didn't even know they had, and in the process, those guardian angels saved them in return. The kid showed them the stars and pulled them from the depths of the Earth, and the angels refilled the kid's spirit and showed them life's true sunlight."

Flora's vision went back to normal. "That's...a cute story. I'm glad the kid met those angels."

"That kid was me." Frisk smiled, looking down at their hands. "Chara was the rage that manifested in that kid's heart. They were the hatred and violence and craving of revenge that lingered back before the kid was saved. Now, it wants to kill all of my guardian angels...by disguising as one of them. A demon in angel's clothing." They bent down and picked up the sharpened pencil on the floor and held it up. "If you try anything, you won't succeed."

"And why not?" Flora's vision tinted red.

"Because this time, the kid is strong enough to stop you." Frisk said with seriousness before getting up off the bed and walking towards the door. "Good night." They whispered before turning off the light.

* * *

 ** _What the hell's going on?! Can someone tell me please? Why I'm switching faster than the channels on TV? I'm black, then I'm white, No! Something isn't right! My enemy's invisible, I don't know how to fight!_**

 ** _\- Echo-CrusherP (Vocaloid)_**

 **Oh my gosh this took forever to make and I'm still not even completely satisfied with it but oh well you gotta finish it up someday and just be happy you finished it.**

 **Okay I have a lot to talk about so let's get started.**

 **I finally introduced Flora's mother, Katie Cofvey. Her problem isn't really a brain issue like real life schizophrenia. Everyone just refers to it as schizophrenia. Quinn's theory was correct in the sense that Katie was born with multiple souls fighting for control over her body. These other souls manifest in visual hallucinations trying to kill her and take over her body, as well as kill Flora so they can start anew as a new person with a different soul and personality. The other symptoms, like laying motionless for hours and social withdrawal, just manifested over time. Let's just say, it made for a very difficult childhood for Flora.**

 **Quinn doesn't really like Chara, mostly because of what they did to Asriel, but they sure are fascinated with them and their influence on humans. So much so, that they're absolutely delighted to have Chara almost all to themselves in the form of Flora.**

 **Frisk, on the other hand, is freaking out. Frisk is the kind of person who can't handle stress too well, especially Chara stress. Poor kid's been running around town dealing with Flora's mom and Iris and Willow while worrying about how Flora is doing and whether or not she broke and has already slaughtered Quinn and Toriel and have escaped to go on a killing spree. The life of Frisk sounds so stressful actually. Frisk is a lot like Sans in the sense that they're defending their happy ending from Chara, and this time they're not going to fall to the temptation of genocide like they did before. The kid is stronger now and has their angels behind them.**

 **I'm probably not going to post a lot of this until September, just because this is getting to be such a big project and it's getting too hard to work on a phone. I'll still work on my RWBY stuff, just because it's easier right now. (By the way, I write RWBY, check it out! (I haven't gotten a review yet for it, soooo...))**

 **Okay, sorry for taking so long! I hope this chapter suffices, and REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED!**

 **(I was doing so good I really hope this chapter doesn't kill the perfect tension I had built uuuuh)**


	14. But the Earth Refused to Die (AU)

The city of Mt. Ebott was a star in itself, its light bursting from outside its boundaries and able to be seen from miles away. However, Iris and Willow sat under a ceiling of stars that dotted the dark blue sky endlessly, along with the elusive Milky Way that snaked through the stars.

Iris and Willow were in the grass in Iris' backyard. Iris had dragged Willow out there to look at the stars, but Willow didn't complain. She was just happy to be spending time with Iris, her favorite person in the whole universe. She rarely looked up at the beautiful sky, for she was satisfied with Iris' wonder filled eyes as she pointed out all the different constellations.

How could Willow confess to her now? Every minute she spent looking at Iris, the more apprehensive she got. Iris had a future, she was smart, talented, strong, not to mention beautiful, her eyes were so bright and her smile as kind and as noble as she was. Willow on the other hand, saw herself as none of those traits. She made good grades, but she wasn't stunningly gorgeous, was clumsy and not good at anything she tried, she didn't have a family that loved her, and her eyes were dull with reality and sadness while hers were glistening with happiness and fantasy. Willow closed her eyes. Better now than never, she thought.

"Iris?" Willow asked quietly.

"What is it, Willow?" Iris asked, looking away from the stars to Willow. Her scales glinted in the moonlight, but Willow's white fur remained shrouded in darkness.

"I have something I need to tell you." Willow said before breathing deeply through her nose. _That's it, don't back out this time. You can do it._

"Yeah?" Iris asked.

Meanwhile, slinking in the darkness was an unusual figure. She had short red hair, recently cut, and she wore nothing but black, leggings, tank, and boots, all stained with blood and dust. The only thing noticeable about her against the dark was her pale skin and the occasional shining of her knife blade off the moonlight as she military-crawled through the grass, slowly approaching the two girls, who were caught up in the moment.

"Well, I've known you for a long time, and we've been together since...I don't know, kindergarten? A couple of humans were picking on me, and you punched them both in the face for me." Willow chuckled, but it came out as nervous. "Ever since then, you've been nothing but good to me. Helping me with my schoolwork, standing up and believing in me, helping me come out of my shell and make all these wonderful friends, among other things...I really do thank you for that. You've helped make me who I am today."

Iris felt her face heat up faster than her kitchen stove when her mom cooked. "Wow, I-thank you. But I didn't help you do all that. You did that all on your own. I just helped you take the first step." Iris smiled before playfully punching Willow on the shoulder. _Yeah, that's the tone we're doing, right?_

"You just can't take credit, can you?" Willow asked with a giggle, smiling and blushing as well. "I also wanted to tell you that, um, uh..." Willow stuttered, breaking the perfect eye contact she had with Iris.

"Yeah? Spit it out, girly." Iris grabbed Willow's hand and squeezed it.

"I just wanted to tell you that for the longest time I've admired you as a friend but now I think it's something more!" Willow shouted. She had her eyes closed, so she couldn't see Iris' response.

Iris' eyes widened. "W-What? What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're smart and beautiful and so strong and talented! You're everything anyone can ask for! I'm tired of waiting, and I know how dangerous us being together is, but...I love you, Iris!" Willow shouted. Her shoulders tensed and her grip tightened on Iris' hand as she confessed. She almost wanted to cry, for she had that bottled up so long.

"Willow..." Iris pulled Willow closer to her. Willow wasn't sure if it was a hug or a kiss, but she didn't care, but as Iris began wrapping her arms around Willow, she stopped. The shadow of a human girl dressed in all black rising from the grass, knife raised and getting ready to stab Willow in the back, caught Iris' eye just in time as she shoved Willow out of the way and took the blow to her chest in Willow's place.

Willow snapped out of her lovesick trance, and she did not like what she saw. Iris clutched her chest, which oozed blood and dust, and groaned in agony. The human who had assaulted her was surprisingly Flora, but her irises were different. They glowed red and her smile was unlike anything Willow had ever seen out of her. This wasn't Flora, it couldn't be. She would never do this. She would never hurt Iris or herself, or try to hurt them, especially at their most vulnerable moment.

"Flora...what? What are you doing here? What is this?" Iris choked, struggling to get up and summon a spear for herself.

"Oh, it's nothing personal. Just business." Flora replied before shooting another creepy grin.

"Iris!" Willow cried. Flora's head jerked in Willow's direction, her beady red eyes burning into her. "Y-You're hurt...Flora...Why...?" She couldn't get anything out at that moment. If Iris died, everything would just, fall apart. She had sacrificed everything for her love of her. Her sanity, her safety, her future, even her own life. If Iris died, what good would she be? Would her pain even be worth it? Willow stood up tall, knowing she had to fight for the one thing that mattered to her most.

Flora cocked a sly grin. "You? Really? What are you going to do, knock me down with your brute size?" Willow knew then it wasn't her.

"Willow! No, please, I got this." Iris cried before looking back at Willow and giving her a reassuring smile. However, it quickly faltered into a pained grimace.

"You're hurt! Let me be the hero!" Willow started to approach Iris and Flora. Iris struggled to stand, the dim blue light of a spear glowing just under her palm. Flora raised her knife slowly, ready to end it once and for all. Willow sprinted towards the two girls, and jumped in front of Flora's blade. However, Iris summoned a cluster of spears that blocked the knife from slicing through Willow.

Flora staggered back, bewildered, but she quickly regained her composure to see Iris stand up just barely, clutching her wounded chest with one hand and holding a scintillating blue spear with the other, despite her body clearly cracking and chipping away, blowing off in the wind like dust. "Hurt? It's nothing." Iris smiled confidently. "Now, leave! Run, Willow. As fast as you can!" Iris shouted as she grabbed Willow by the shirt and pulled her out of the way.

"But-" Willow stuttered. She couldn't leave Iris there alone. Not with Flora, or whoever she was now. She had to do something, but she was just Willow. And she was afraid, her heart pounding against her chest like at any instant it was going to jump out and run away without her.

"Run, Willow! Please! I love you too much to fight knowing you're not there to meet me after." Iris said pleadingly before collapsing once more in front of Flora. "I'll take care of this! Get out of here!"

Willow felt herself blush, and tears form in her eyes, but she shook them away as she turned and ran from the one thing she cared about. She stopped and hid behind the corner of the house to listen in on the fight. Flora was too distracted to care. She waited patiently for Iris to die, so then she could go after Willow, and later Undyne and Alphys. She knew Iris was going to die no matter what.

"Heh...It's nothing..." Iris chuckled. The voice in Flora's head knew this scene well. Final words, but there was also a burning feeling that this victim was different. She watched intently, hoping that she wasn't like _her_. The _Undying_. That she would die just as easily as the others. Iris continued, her voice cracking and breathless, and her eyes welling with tears. "S-somehow, with just one hit...from a _friend_ , from _you_ of all people! I'm already...Already..." Iris glanced down at her withering body and her wound. "D-damn it..." She dropped her spear. "Papstablook...Willow...Tripp... Just like that, I've failed you." She closed her eyes in defeat. Flora started to turn around and walk away, already giving up on Iris.

"No." Iris grunted in anger, punching the ground with her left fist and gritting her teeth. "My body... It feels like it's splitting apart. Like any instant, I'll scatter into a million pieces," _The pain of shattering had finally started to kick in, but unlike most people when they die, Iris didn't feel despair. She felt integrity, courage,_ _determination_ _. It was that raw feeling that took the pain away in a way that not even Iris could describe. It scared her, almost, even more so than death. "_ But."

Flora turned around. She really was just like _her_. Another monster with determination that matched her own. She kept listening, tightening her grip on her knife blade.

"Deep, deep in my soul. There's a burning feeling I can't describe. A burning feeling that _won't_ let me die." Iris had harnessed this new energy, standing taller than she would have ever imagined in that situation. Is this what her mother, Undyne, tried so hard to cultivate throughout her entire life? A fighting spirit that could even cheat death? This is what she was preparing her for with all that training?

Iris decided to do what her mother would've done: use this power for good, and she saw doing good as confronting Flora, whoever she was, about her true intentions, and stopping her from doing more damage. "This isn't just about monsters anymore, is it? If you get past me, which you won't, you'll destroy them all, won't you? Monsters... Humans... _Everyone_... Everyone's hopes. Everyone's dreams. Vanquished in an instant." Just hearing those words come out of her mouth sickened Iris, but not as much as Flora's creepy grin that confirmed her previously stated hypothesis. No. She wouldn't let that happen. "But I _won't_ let you do that."

"Oh yeah?" Flora asked quietly.

"Right now, everyone in the world...I can feel their hearts beating as _one_. And we all have _one_ goal, to defeat _you_. Flora, no, whoever you are! For the sake of the whole world... I, IRIS, will strike you down!" Iris said proudly, summoning a spear in each hand with a glint in her eye that was awfully familiar to the voice in Flora's head. But, she didn't back down. Never.

"And if you think we're going to let you kill us all..." Iris said, her voice still trembling as her body solidified and renewed itself to point of actually becoming stronger. Her scars faded and glossed over as new, brilliant skin, her muscles magnified, her pajamas transformed into grandiose, black armor with spikes jutting out from every which way. Her eyes were black with a green fire flickering and roaring within them, her hair blowing majestically in the now howling wind. She was no longer the Iris Flora knew. She was no longer the butch amphibian that Flora could never defeat in a million years. Iris was a challenge, a mundane task that needed to be conquered. It didn't matter what happened or how powerful or determined Iris was. Flora was perseverant enough to last until she herself was shattering. Once Iris formed in all her glory, with hundreds of scintillating blue spears behind her all aimed at Flora, she smirked. "You're gonna have to try a little harder than THAT!"

Willow's eyes widened as she watched Iris' transformation. _It was just like the animes._ Iris was the heroine. It was her who was born to protect the Earth. Determination was her superpower. She was strong enough to do this, Willow knew it. Because unlike any other person, Iris _refused_ to let the Earth die and her refusal was powerful enough to match a human's strength.

Flora looked down at her purple soul that had a slight tint of red. It quickly turned green and pumped once. She smiled and looked up at Iris, who let her cluster of spears rain on Flora, who with multiple gymnastics moves evaded each one. Willow could no longer see the two fighters, since the blows from the spears shrouded them in clouds of dust.

Only for a few seconds did Iris think that Flora was dead. She was caught off guard by a slice in the back from Flora. She whirled around and sent more spears after her human opponent. Flora was certainly a worthy one, blocking some of her attacks, however, she sometimes missed and was hit by a flying spear. Iris cackled at her misfortune, but Flora kept stabbing her and laughing as well. They had gone from the best of friends to the most brutal of enemies in just a few fateful minutes.

The dust had cleared, but more clouds took its place with only the silhouettes of Iris and Flora and noises to let Willow know what was happening. According to the grunts, groans, cackles, and the sounds of clanking metal that echoed through the yard, it didn't sound good.

Iris' best attack, an orange spear that headed one way, but at the last second switched direction and hit Flora from another angle to catch her off guard, was what put Flora on her knees. Her soul had turned back to purple, but it had multiple chips and cracks in it.

Iris strode up to the fallen human and held a spear point to her neck, using the head to lift Flora's so that they made eye contact. "Hmm. I thought humans were the determined ones. This must be really embarrassing for you." Iris said mockingly, looking down at Flora's soul. Although cracked, it was still intact. Not for long, though. Iris knew that whatever Flora did, it was no match her determination.

Iris had gotten a little too confident. Little did Iris know, that was Flora's secret. Chara, the voice in Flora's head controlling it all, had taught Flora to harness it. Perseverance. Persevering through the negative to get her reward. Flora gripped her knife blade, and just as Iris began to move her spear towards Flora's soul to shatter it once and for all, just like she opted to do to her and Willow.

"Everyone's hearts refuse to let the Earth die!" Iris smiled before Flora suddenly lifted her knife and stabbed Iris in the abdomen. Iris dropped her spear in shock, allowing Flora to grab it, stand up, and run her through in the chest. Flora smiled as Iris choked, her mouth filling and oozing with blood. The pain of shattering came full force this time, no determination to dull the pain. Iris collapsed to the ground in agony, her body chipping away again. "Damn it... So even _that_ power... It wasn't enough?" Iris sighed before chuckling softly. "If you...If you think I'm gonna give up hope, you're wrong. Cause I've... Got my friends behind me. _Your_ friends are behind me. _Our_ friends are behind me. Willow, by now she's called Frisk and they're coming up with a plan to stop you!" Iris said defiantly, smiling big. "And with that power...This world will live on!"

Then she was gone. Her form reduced to ashes that blew away with the late autumn wind. Some of it landed on Willow's face and clothes as she quietly sobbed, her tears blurring her vision. She pulled out her phone and started running away from the house, texting Frisk one of many cries for help since Flora had began her killing spree.

 _Frisk!_

 _Iris...has been killed._

 _Where are you?_

 _It's Flora. Something's not right._

 _Do you know what's happening?_

 _I'm used to fear, but nothing like this._

 _...Frisk?_

* * *

 ** _There'll be no rest, there'll be no love, there'll be no hero in the end who will rise above..._**

 ** _And when it ends,_** ** _The good will crawl..._**

 ** _The shining light will sink in darkness,_** ** _  
_** ** _Victory for hate incarnate,_** ** _  
_** ** _Misery and pain for all..._** ** _  
_** ** _When it falls..._**

 **THIS IS NOT CANON GUYS CALM DOWN!**

 **I was going to end up making the Chara arc in the Pacifist Skimming the Surface a bit short, so I decided to write a three chapter AU arc where things take a bit of a darker turn in order to explore Flora and Chara's interactions and their interactions with the world together as a 'fusion'. In this case, Iris is Undyne and you can guess who Flora/Chara are going to fight in the other two chapters. ;) I'll give you a hint, an ice cream abbreviation and "the kid".**

 **The next chapter in the Pacifist universe is taking a while to make, so please enjoy this needlessly bleak AU. The other two Genocide chapters are expected to take a bit longer, since these characters have way more interesting attacks that I have to choreograph. Iris' dialogue here takes especially after Undyne the Undying's in the original Undertale, with only a few differences and more description as to what Iris is doing. The 'her' Chara mentions is Undyne, and she knows that Iris inherited her freakish determination.**

 **Also, a little note, I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but when Iris dies, her dust blew with the wind and landed on Willow. Monster Funerals are when the dust of a monster is spread on their favorite thing. Willow is Iris' favorite person. Just thought I'd point that out.**

 **Sooo...what did everyone think of this AU? Let me know in the REVIEWS!**


	15. Narcissistic Rage (AU)

Ever since Flora's genocide began, the streets of Mt. Ebott were hauntingly empty. The skies were dark and grey, as though nature was responding to the cloud of negative energies that hung over Mt. Ebott, and not a soul roamed the town. They were either dead, or hiding from an inevitable fate. The voice in Flora's head found it amusing, how stupid people were. As if hiding or running would save them. Chara was as endless as time. They outran everything, they outlasted everything. Fighting was even more futile. Chara knew well that banding together over a small spark of hope was mankind and monsterkind's greatest strength, but unlike most, they didn't care. Chara was the unrelenting darkness. A bitter being of hopelessness that occupies a host that reeks of negativity, soon turning their strife into a hunger for justice. A hunger for justice that only led to genocide, and the eternal extinguishment of hope.

According to the texts on the stolen phone of a killed Willow, Frisk and Quinn had rallied the remaining survivors in the basement of the school, the only entrance being inside the auditorium, where the stage was. How idiotic. The entire town in one place. It was like a pack of wolves surrounding one sick moose, except this time, there was one all-powerful wolf and an entire population of sick moose.

Flora had collected a plethora of weapons throughout her journey. All the classics, a new, sharper knife, an untouched frying pan, the hardest toe ballet shoes, a boxing glove, and a shiny, powerful, revolver pistol from a robbed sports store. This next opponent, Chara thought, should be the perfect test run.

Flora was like a phantom in the dark streets of Mt. Ebott. Slow, silent, and scary, but with good, poised posture. Her skin had grown ghostly pale and her hair oily, stained with blood and dust just like her torn black clothes. She had a few wounds from when the prey surprisingly tried to fight back, and her gait was composed of a limp. Chara had occupied Flora almost entirely, and she had adopted some Chara-like features in her form because of it. Her eyes burned red, her smile, crooked and sadistic, each breath was raspy and heavy, and her hands twitched even when still, along with her shoulders, that shook with each quaking exhale.

She stopped at the school entrance, grandiose but grey and abandoned. Flora smirked and strode in confidently, soon coming upon the auditorium after wandering through the halls. The ceiling lights in the corridors were shattered, leaving broken glass on the dark floors littered with papers and other items that were left haphazardly during a hasty evacuation. It seemed that the concept of exiting in a calm and orderly fashion was completely tossed out the window, or in this case, hurled at the ceiling.

But that didn't matter to Flora. All that mattered was what waited for her in the auditorium. Finally, her reward for all her perseverance. Frisk, Quinn, everyone, all in one place. The war ends here. It made Chara feel giddy inside. Finally, victory has come upon them in this timeline, and they achieved in the cruelest way possible: they achieved it just when everyone thought there was peace. Just when everyone began trusting in hope again. It made Chara laugh. How blissfully ignorant.

Flora walked into the auditorium and looked around. It seemed empty, and the entrance was ripe for the taking. _This is just too easy._ Chara thought, smiling to themselves. At least, not until a familiar scoff cut through the quiet.

"Ugh. Flora? It's about time." It was Narcissus. She was waiting on the stage behind the curtains. She jumped off and strutted in front of Flora. "Do you know how incredibly boring it is sitting here waiting for you? You may have done a fast genocide, but to me, I think you're best at killing time! Not to mention, this whole killing thing you have going on is seriously the worst. Everyone knows you could never pull off the goth schtick, and this evacuation has put such a dent on my schedule! Everyone's closed and I have to sit here and..." By this time, Flora had drowned out Narcissus' incessant complaining. Oh, how she relished the fact that she would soon be dead. The more Narcissus chattered on and on, the more both Flora and Chara longed for her demise more than Frisk's.

Chara could sense Flora's annoyance too, and decided to dangle some bait, knowing that Flora would seize it without any hesitation. After all, Flora never really did think under Chara's control, just obey unconditionally, just the way Chara liked it.

 _*Insult?_

"Oh yes." Flora muttered in relief before grabbing Narcissus attention. "Hey, Pap!"

Narcissus perked up at just the slightest hint of her real name. "What was that?"

"Yeah, you! Killing takes a bit, mind you. Then again, you wouldn't know what hard work feels like, since you have all your little workers and servants to do it for you! Don't expect so much from your fellow people until you prove that you can do it just as well yourself, Princess!" Flora taunted, hoping that that would make Narcissus angry. She wasn't sure how tough her ego was.

Narcissus crossed her arms. "Don't go criticizing me, you psychopath! At least I haven't stooped to the likes of you! A failed artist now resorting to murder...hmm, reminds me of someone else I wouldn't want to be compared to." She replied sassily. Chara hated that their grand battle started with a sass fight, but hey, they had to live with what they got.

"I wouldn't want to have a nickname like Narcissus either. I find it incredibly interesting how deeply you nitpick others, when you haven't even taken a second to reflect on why you can't even get your father to notice you! Let alone anyone else!" Flora shouted.

Narcissus' sassy stance faltered for a second. "Hmph. You're wrong. People clobber just to get a look at me, unlike you. People trip over themselves to get away. What do you think people are hiding from here? What person do you think Frisk and Quinn assigned me to keep at bay?"

"At least I'm a real person, and not Alphys' science project! Heck, I can't even think of a less deserving person for her breakthrough technology! I'm surprised people actually feel hurt by your comments, because really they should just phase through them like you used to do with the walls and your dad's expensive convertible! Not to mention his heart!" Flora yelled. She felt the shadow of Chara pat her on the back. _Nice one._ They whispered.

Narcissus stomped her right foot in anger, her fists now clenched so that her glow-in-the-dark neon yellow nails dug into her metal palms. She didn't have Iris to stop her now. She was going to go for it. Narcissus looked down at her stomach, where a small switch rested. Quinn had just installed it, along with some new features Narcissus was dying to test out just for the purpose of showing Flora who's boss. She flipped it with no hesitation, and in just a few minutes flat and with a cacophony of electronic noises, Narcissus' body had changed completely.

Flora was fazed by Narcissus' transformation, but Chara had seen it all before. Except this time, Chara could sense that this robot had upped its defense systems, unlike Mettaton. Narcissus' metal limbs were sleek and polished, the turquoise paint now had a shiny new luster. The rest of her body hovered over her legs, and her limbs had aquamarine neon lights in the designs of bones snaking up them. Her left arm had a giant laser cannon on the end instead of a hand, and the right one had the usual robot hand, however, it could convert into a large rocket, ready to launch at Flora. The right side of Narcissus' face was now black, like a television screen, and her eye and that side of her mouth was pixelated, designed like a vintage video game. Her hair was slicked to the left in a curly undercut, and her shoulders had giant epaulets, lined with pink spotlights that all shined on her. "Oh yes." Narcissus smirked as she immediately started shooting at Flora with her laser cannon. The blasts looked like blinding turquoise beams that disintegrated anything that got in their way, and ended in a large explosion that shook the ground and left burnt dents in the floor.

Flora dodged the blasts just barely with a series of cartwheels, but the explosions blew her away, literally. It was even more difficult to land safely with Narcissus summoning giant bones from the ground to skewer her. Well, at least the toe shoes were being put to use. Narcissus was a harder opponent than Iris, which was shocking, since Narcissus was never the fighting type in Flora's eyes.

Narcissus kept shooting and summoning, too enraged to think strategically. Her eyes moved frantically, searching for Flora amongst all the smoke. "Where are you? Come out and face me, you coward! Back your words with strength! Or at least humor me with your death!" She screamed, shooting aimlessly around the auditorium.

Flora waited, choosing not to move so then she couldn't be detected. Perseverance was a fusion of patience and determination, and patience was waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Narcissus scanned the room, and while doing so, Flora slinked behind her, until she sprinted at Narcissus from behind, her knife wielded and her gloved arm drawn back for a punch. Narcissus sensed her oncoming presence, whirled around and kicked Flora with her right leg in the stomach. As Flora went tumbling back, Narcissus summoned a cluster of bones from the ground and turned Flora's purple soul dark blue, the bones nailing Flora in the back and head. It was an attack she learned from Papyrus. Flora grunted in pain as she landed on the bones, and growled as she noticed her now blue soul. "Aw, feeling a little blue, Flora? Take comfort in knowing it'll all be over soon." Narcissus mocked before cackling.

Narcissus whipped out and pointed her rocket arm towards the fallen Flora. The rocket powered up with a long, crescendoing whir, and Narcissus smiled at her inevitable victory. Flora struggled to get up and reach for the frying pan on her belt, her soul already damaged. "It's sad, you actually thought you were something compared to me." Narcissus said, the whir of her rocket getting louder. Flora grabbed her frying pan and got ready to use it. "Well, you...ain't... _NOTHING_!" Narcissus shouted as she fired her rocket in Flora's direction.

Flora, with what little strength she had left, ran away from the rocket and shielded herself from the explosion it left when it landed with her frying pan. She decided to hide in the smoke until Narcissus thought she had clutched victory.

Narcissus exhaled deeply in relief. "Finally." She clapped her hands together to dust them off. "Glad I took care of that." A small siren suddenly rang in Narcissus' ears. It was alerting her of a human presence nearing her from her right side. Narcissus turned around, but not in time. It was Flora, racing towards her with a bright yellow soul, her revolver drawn and firing as multiple bullets blew through Narcissus' stomach, legs, and eventually, her right eye. "WHAT?" She shouted in shock, fumbling to aim her cannon as all her systems simultaneously shouted _"Error, Error, Error!"_ repeatedly before Flora leaped towards Narcissus, her knife in her other hand. Before Narcissus could fire, Flora left hooked her with her boxing glove and jabbed her knife into Narcissus' chest with her right hand, pushing the blade in until it came out the other side.

As Flora clung to Narcissus' body with her left arm and legs wrapped around her, she smiled smugly. "You ain't nothing compared to me." She whispered before she felt Narcissus' soul shatter. The lights in her eyes and on her body dimmed as the robot shut down with another whir, except this time decreasing in volume until the body dropped to the floor with a loud clang. Before Flora left to get her prize, she put her foot on Narcissus' lifeless head and smashed it with a single stomp, leaving a few wayward sparks to fly into the air before Flora walked to the basement entrance.

Another attempt to stop her, failed. Looks like ol' Frisk is running out of options.

* * *

 _ **Arm your armies, dream your dreams,**_

 _ **Make your plans and plot your schemes,**_

 _ **Send your fighters, one and all,**_

 _ **Then in battle watch them fall.**_

 **THIS IS NOT CANON!**

 **The Genocide AU, the saga continues, with Narcissus NEO! After months of outlining, I wrote and edited this chapter in one and a half days, with the help of a new tea blend of black tea, caffeine and matè. :)**

 **I was so excited to write this fight, because Narcissus has so many possibilities for a fight scene! A Papyrus and Mettaton NextGen, it'd be like fighting Sans with his bone attacks and Mettaton with his kickass lasers and stuff. Also, I attacked Narcissus' character in this scene with a more Sugilite approach. According to my research, people with NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) actually respond very negatively to criticism and other ego injuries, whether it be denying it or straight up exploding in something called narcissistic rage. Narcissus doesn't really care about anyone the way Iris does, so the only way to get her to fight is through that rage (which I hinted at in multiple chapters now that I recall). Iris usually stops Narcissus from getting to that stage of wrath, but she's not here anymore in this universe...** **And what better way to beat up Narcissus' self esteem than by bringing up the argument that she's not technically a "real person"? Mwahaha that'll show her...**

 **No but actually that's a really compelling philosophical argument, whether or not robots with strong AI should be considered as real people. Let's talk about that. *sips tea and strokes imaginary beard questioningly***

 **This time, Chara manipulated Flora's dislike of Narcissus' attitude to work to their advantage. I mean, Flora gets to tell Narcissus how it is in a battle of savagery, and then Chara gets to kill Narcissus. Seems fair enough. Flora's perseverance makes from frequent surprise attacks as well. It's one of her signatures. Now that they share one body, it's been hard to keep Flora and Chara apart, especially pronouns wise. Also, Narcissus NEO's design is actually really hard to describe...**

 **In case you were wondering, Quinn actually plays the role of Flowey in this genocide AU. Their morals are very similar to Flowey's, and throughout the AU (and the actual story) they constantly bounce back and forth between being on Chara's side and being on Frisk's. For example, Quinn helped Flora find Iris and Willow, but right after ran to Frisk, informed them of Flora/Chara's plan, and modified Narcissus to stop them. Out of the entire basement, Frisk and Quinn are the only two people to escape.**

 **This next chapter is the last fight. Guess who plays the role of Sans in this AU! The answer is quite shocking, but I think you'll like it. ;)**

 **What does everyone think of this chapter in the Genocide AU? Let me know in the REVIEWS!**

 **(But seriously what happens to Narcissus and Mettaton once they die because I have another robot with a soul that's dead that I need to have some closure on. (Please tell me Penny is having fun in heaven I NEED TO KNOW SHE'S OKAY))**

 **(Okay, sorry, got carried away there hehe)**


	16. Perseverance vs Determination (AU)

This was it. The final stop before reaching Mt. Ebott. Before reaching Flowey, before reaching Chara's corpse, before reaching an absolute, before reaching the end of it all. Both Flora and Chara were excited deep inside, yet at the same time empty. There was only one more person left to kill, and it would be the hardest one to exterminate of them all.

The mailbox at the end of the driveway she was approaching, which read "Dreemurrs" on the sides, looked dismal in the grey tint the cloudy day caused. Everything looked black and white, like the morals of pacifist and genocide.

Down the driveway Flora walked, easing and tightening the grip on her dagger. She noticed how grand the trees lining the driveway were. They were like pillars in a great church or court. She continued looking, but then directed her attention to a single shadow in the center of the driveway. The shadow of someone who looked very familiar. An average-height person with short, dirty, and worn brown hair that whipped in the wind. Their head held low and mournful, their skin pale and caked with dust, like Flora's. They wore a slightly chunky striped sweater and wielded a dagger almost exactly like Flora's that glinted although light was scarce. She called out their name. "Frisk."

Frisk looked up at Flora emotionlessly. "Hey, Chara." The wind blew their hair back out of their face, and the leaves surrounding them rustled with the breeze, making a sort of white noise. Then again, the leaves had a rhythm, like they were breathing.

"This could've been you, you know." Chara spoke through Flora, gesturing to their form.

"I know." Frisk replied, looking down at the ground. It was like they were ashamed.

"Then why didn't you just let me win?" Flora asked.

"Because I knew that it would bring this. No matter what, you'll find some way to bring this." Frisk said.

"Oh, and you don't want this? Deep down, this doesn't make you happy? Roll up your sleeves and look. Look at the scars and scrapes that mar your once perfect skin. I avenged you, and you still hate me." Flora smiled devilishly.

"Don't give me your pity. Revenge is not the right path and you know it." Frisk growled. They glanced at their sleeves, contemplating what was under them for a few seconds. They couldn't believe that they were now defending the world that once destroyed them...but, they also knew that the same world did something else for them. Something worth fighting for.

"Sitting idly by and letting the world walk all over you is not the right path either and you know it. So, why do you hate me?" Flora asked. She wasn't even herself anymore. Just Chara in a Flora costume.

"You took away my happy ending." Frisk said strongly and shortly.

"You took away your own happy ending, once upon a time." Flora shrugged.

"You don't get it, do you?" Frisk raised their voice, which cracked during that statement. They closed their eyes, releasing tears, and tensed their shoulders as they spoke. "Yes, I jumped down that mountain for an...unhappy reason, just like you, and yes, I did hate humanity once for making me do it. I hated God even more for creating me so that I would inherit such hatred! I hated him for giving birth to me with death in mind, one way or another! But when I fell down that mountain, I didn't die. I was saved."

"Saved?" Flora asked. And this time, it was Flora asking, not Chara. Chara already knew this story. They knew it too well.

"Toriel and Asgore were the parents I had always dreamed of. Sans was like a mentor to me. Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys were like the best friends I never got the chance to have. All this time that I tried to save them, all this time that I tried to protect them, I was saving myself. Now, I can't imagine hating life. I can't imagine hating this world because if I left it, it would mean leaving them, and I'm determined to keep them alive for as long as possible." Frisk explained. "But you, you made life meaningless to me again. God found a way to kill me again. You. I'm going to spend my final moments trying to bring back the world I saved. But more importantly, I'm going to fight for the world that saved me."

Flora smiled and tossed her dagger tauntingly, catching it and slicing the air once before meeting eyes with Frisk. "Then do it." She bounced her eyebrows beckoningly.

Frisk set their dagger on the ground and took off their striped sweater, revealing a simple red tank top, and little dark lines moving from their wrists to their neck, scars. They covered what showed of their chest, and their back and shoulders as well. Frisk tossed their sweater away, picked up their knife, and stood perfectly still, waiting for Flora to make the first move. They looked around at the scene surrounding them and smiled with a strange sense of calm. "It's a nice day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. What a great day for a picnic. On days like these, kids like us..." Flora's face sunk into a glare, but Frisk just chuckled softly as they glanced at Flora. "Should have the chance to be happy." Frisk opened their arms as though expecting a hug. Yeah, like Chara was going to go all soft now.

Flora smirked and sprinted towards Frisk, bounding quickly and gracefully on her ballet shoes as both Frisk and Flora's vision turned black and white, with only their souls being in color.

 _*Fight_. Chara whispered in Flora's ear.

* _Mercy. I know you can do it, Flora._ Frisk thought as they gave Flora a reassuring smile, despite her expression of pure determination and malice as she lunged at Frisk, attempting to slice down Frisk's chest through the stomach. Frisk dodged with ease and decided to use a quote they knew well from the nightmares Chara used to torture them. "What? You think I'm just gonna stand here and take it?" They winked.

Flora growled, recognizing the quote before lunging again. _Determination, I refuse to let them win._ Out of the corner of Flora's eye, she could see the spirit of Chara, their soul burning red, watching her. Flora smiled and kept fighting, despite Frisk's skillful dodges. They never attacked, and they never took a hit. It was like going around in circles. Chara knew this strategy, it wasn't exactly created by Frisk, but they found it frustrating nonetheless.

Flora suddenly stopped moving, and Frisk did too. It was strange. The two just stood there, waiting for the other to make a move. _Patience, wait for the perfect moment to strike._ Flora watched Frisk intently while gripping her dagger tighter. Despite being confident that she was going to win, the moment was still tense, and seeing the shadow of a light blue-souled individual beside her didn't make it any better.

Frisk was waiting too, careful not to doze off. They couldn't make that mistake this time. They decided to take this chance to try and avoid fighting altogether.

* _Act-Talk._

As Frisk opened their mouth to speak, Flora lunged at Frisk, trying to gut them once more. _That's it._ Chara whispered encouragingly before getting even more frustrated when Frisk dodged that attack too just by sliding out of the way.

Frisk tried again with persuasion. "Flora! I know you're in there! Why are you doing this? I know this may seem like the answer but it's not! Please, just let me help you, and I promise I can make this right." Frisk said pleadingly, still dodging.

Flora loosened her stance and her glare faltered. Something was resonating within her, the stirrings of empathy. Something from within her soul was wanting to go with Frisk. Chara could have none of that. A silhouette with a dark blue soul stood behind Flora. _Integrity, Stay with me, don't let their words sway you away. Who's ever heard of doing what's wrong just because someone convinced you to? That's what the devil does._ Flora furrowed her brows and leaped towards Frisk on her ballet shoes, landing en pointe and doing multiple twirls and tricks, all meant to kick Frisk down. Frisk ducked, jumped and stepped back from Flora's attacks before quickly moving behind Flora and pushing her in the back. Her poor balance while en pointe caused the push to make her fall on her face.

"Flora, I don't think you realize the leverage of this situation. If you beat me, everything you love, everything _we_ love and have worked so hard to build...it's all going to be reset. Can you imagine a world without Iris? Or Willow? Or Quinn? This next timeline, you may not even be born! You're tinkering with things that affect everyone equally!" Frisk explained, still trying to get the little bit of Flora inside their opponent to submit.

"I don't think _you_ understand, I never _wanted_ to be born, and you don't either! You're torturing everyone by protecting this cesspool of hate and horror!" Flora snarled. Frisk knew it wasn't actually Flora talking, but still frowned at their words. They knew Chara when they heard them. Flora saw the shadow of a green souled person standing behind Frisk. She reached for the frying pan on her belt, put her dagger in its place, and ran to whack Frisk with it. _Kindness, They're tired, they're miserable. Let's dull their pain._

Frisk wasn't quick enough to dodge a hit to the right cheek with Flora's frying pan. Flora backed the strike with such velocity, that it knocked Frisk to their knees. It was Frisk's turn to use their soul power to their advantage.

 _Knowing that there is good inside of Flora and Chara, you are filled with determination._

Frisk stood up quickly and waved their dagger in the air threateningly. If Chara wouldn't listen, they would have to make Flora listen, and hope her voice could overpower Chara's.

"Oh? Finally fighting back I see. Now it's a party!" Flora smirked. She put her frying pan away before opening her arms cockily. "Come at me, Frisk."

Frisk knew that a warning cut couldn't hurt. They felt bad for resorting to violence, but knew that giving Flora the slightest bit of punishment for her actions would be good. However, Flora's body was already covered in scars from previous fights that led up to them. Frisk continued to run mindlessly towards Flora, despite this inner conflict, but passed her, leaving a small cut on her shoulder as they ran by.

Flora grabbed her revolver pistol this time to retaliate, twirled it in her fingers once, and pointed it at Frisk. A figure with a yellow soul helped redirect her aim as Chara whispered, _Justice, It's my turn to get my happy ending._

The sounds of gunshots echoed through the town, but they weren't as loud as Frisk's cries of agony as the bullets that came with the noises hit them in the legs and right arm. Blood was oozing all over their clothes, coating their scarred skin, like lava over an already ashen forest. Frisk clutched their wounds, unable to stand with the bullets in their legs.

Flora approached them with her dagger. "Get dunked on, kiddo." Flora smiled Chara's iconic grin, quoting Sans like Frisk did several minutes ago.

Frisk's breathing was heavy, yet quick and shaky as tears and blood dripped on the pavement. This was too familiar, for both Frisk and Chara. "Don't you know what you're doing? Please...stop. There's nothing waiting for you at the end. Just an empty void. It's not worth it, Flora. Don't do it." Frisk said breathily, their voice breaking.

Both Flora and Frisk's hearts were beating in their ears. What would happen if Flora won? Where would she go? Where would she end up? Fear suddenly rushed over Flora like a wave, her hands shaking, her body sweating, her brain clouded with raw terror.

 _No._

 _Bravery, Face this head on. Don't think of the uncertainty of the future. They're lying. You'll get your reward soon enough._

Flora closed her eyes tightly and punched Frisk with her boxing glove, knocking them down so that they were completely helpless to stop her.

 _Perseverance, keep fighting. You're almost there._

Flora looked down at the dagger in her right hand, then back at Frisk, who's face said all the words for them. It was fearful, yet calm and accepting. Their eyes went from scared and upset to, "It's okay, Flora. You did your best." Flora tried to avoid her emotions, for they wouldn't help her anyway, as she raised her dagger and ran it through Frisk's soul, shattering it so that a red, glass-like substance sprayed on the ground to be soaked in Frisk's blood.

Flora turned away from the corpse and crouched down, breathing as heavily and as shakily as Frisk was, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. What had she done? Never before had Flora felt such regret. Why was she just feeling it now? What had kept her from feeling all the guilt that was now washing over her? Flora fell to her knees in sorrow, looking at the empty world around her. Why is it always after the deed is done that you realize the error of your ways?

Suddenly, a golden light, like the Sun, radiated behind Flora. She turned around to see something like a star, getting brighter and brighter until Frisk reappeared before her once more, soul completely intact. It was like in a video game, and Frisk had just "respawned" right where they left off.

"F-Frisk?" Flora stuttered, her tears making her eyes and face twinkle in the light.

Frisk knelt to Flora's level and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You don't deserve this. I do. You deserve to be happy." Frisk smiled before running Flora through with their dagger. Flora choked and struggled to breathe, her eyes wide with feelings of betrayal and confusion. "Go to the light. I'm sure they'll forgive you." Frisk whispered.

And then, like someone was pushing them down, Flora's eyelids shut, and all the pain disappeared completely. She fell limp in Frisk's arms.

Frisk set Flora's body on the ground gently, then stepped over it. They looked to the left, near the outer end of the driveway, leading to the street. The path and everything ahead of it was crumbling away like wet sand in a child's hands, but just in front of the destruction was Chara, and a crew of six other humans, one for each soul color.

Frisk then looked behind them. Their house was gone, and so was Mt. Ebott. Soon all that was left of the world was the small fraction of the driveway they were standing on, crumbling away. Sharing that space, was the group of humans led by Chara. Chara smiled as they stood in front of Frisk, their eyes meeting. "Well, well, well. I knew you'd come around." They said coolly.

Frisk looked down in shame, not saying a word. They watched the driveway dissolve underneath them, leaving only empty darkness to surround them. Chara stepped closer to Frisk and cupped their face in their cold, dead hands. "No more resets this time, okay?" Chara said. Frisk still didn't say anything. There was no other sound but the echoes of a cold, directionless breeze.

 _This is our home now._

 _Welcome to the void._

* * *

 ** _You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain._**

 **THIS IS NOT CANON!**

 **And here it is, the finale of the Skimming the Surface Genocide AU.**

 **Gosh, I feel nauseous.**

 **The other two deaths didn't make me feel too bad, but I actually felt sick the closer and closer I got to the end of this one. In fact, that's almost exactly what happened with each death during my Genocide route in Undertale. One of the best things about Undertale is the fact that it mixes together two of my favorite subjects, psychology and philosophy. Doing a Genocide route in Undertale and proceeding to do this AU just really makes me think.**

 **Chara...has issues. When I imagined Chara I imagined her being mostly a sense of justice. The typical "me against the world" mentality that so many people seem to have. Although most of the people I know that have this pessimistic attitude are just harmless emos or cynics, sometimes this mentality can lead to violence out of a craving for justice and revenge. Of course, that's the main thing that Chara is. I also associate them with a feeling of lust and megalomania.**

 **When I started writing Frisk, I wore myself out trying to keep them as ambiguous as possible, so much so that they had almost no personality or really anything interesting about them. I eventually decided, screw that, and I spent a few days outlining their personality, interests and backstory. Both Frisk and Chara were naturally born intersex into families who not only were incredibly abusive and pushy, expecting nothing but the best out of their children and beating them if they did anything less, but they also forced Frisk and Chara into female gender roles, something they didn't feel comfortable with. Frisk and Chara grew up mistrusting the world and they continually grew to hate themselves and humanity due to constant bullying at school and abuse from their parents. This led to self-mutilation, eating disorders, anxiety, gender dysphoria and eventually, both of them climbing up Mt. Ebott never to return. Frisk's hatred of humanity was something that they had during their time before the attempted suicide and throughout most of the story of Undertale, but now that they're happy, Chara still lurks and clings to the closest host they ever had to a friend.**

 **So, now we know about Chara...but what about Flora? Flora is nothing like Frisk and Chara, never have, never will be. She has a pretty realist view on the world, but is optimistic for the future of herself and humanity going forward. When that man attacked Flora and Quinn that day, a small spark of hatred flickered in her soul, and Chara found a home immediately in that. But why did Flora continue with the genocide? Simple. Authority.**

 **Chara is a dominating figure. Despite being so insecure, they seem to control the weak minded with confidence and a cruel hand, just like their parents. Just look at what they did to Asriel. Anyone would be freaked out if someone possessed them, and Flora can't help but do what Chara says, just out of fear of what happens if she disobeys. In social psychology experiments it has been found that people are willing to electrocute other people with up to 450 volts under someone else's authority. During this genocide, and in the Undertale Genocide route, you completely discard empathy and humanity just because you're under authority (and because you experience feelings of lust and megalomania, an uncontrollable desire to beat the game which leads to following the authority), whether it be Chara themselves or the directions of a game, and you don't seem to feel much guilt until you see the destruction you've caused.**

 **I wanted to make this fight epic, yet simple and emotional. Chara uses weapons from all soul powers, because all soul types have fallen to and can be influenced by Chara. Chara has a whole army of genocide souls, and they can be seen as hallucinations throughout the fight. In the end, Determination is the only soul type that can battle against death and SAVE, which allows Frisk to defeat Flora, but serve the time for being the last man standing by giving up their soul. Now that I'm thinking about it, this whole scene had a "kill or be killed" mentality to it, and although Frisk tried to enforce Asriel's philosophy, even they fell to the simple, easy to follow philosophy of Flowey. Interesting.**

 **Man, this AU is so dark, gosh. I can't wait to pull up from this arc so then everyone can be happy again. :P**

 **Oh, and I have some exciting news! For the RWBY fans in the audience, I have begun coming up with a RWBY story with an actual plot! The first trailer is scheduled to be released very soon, along with three other "trailers" introducing our main protagonists. I've grown quite attached to them already, and I hope you'll come out for the debut of the first trailer and beyond!**

 **Yeah, I think that's it. REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED (on this scene and the AU as a whole), and we should be returning to our regularly scheduled program soon.**

 **And just out of curiosity, what was everyone's favorite fight and why?**


	17. A Tribute to Undertale

Frisk sat on the dusty floor at the open door leading out of the Ruins to Snowdin. They stared blankly out into the dark, snowy forest, reflecting on how far they had come since they had fallen down Mt. Ebott and completed their journey that led them home. It was not the home they started out with, but it led them to find one that was truly theirs. There was a slow wind wafting from the Surface above, and it tugged lightly that their hair in the direction of the Snowdin forest. Frisk felt their red Soul pulsing slowly, calmly, emitting soft light under their striped sweater. They placed their right hand over it gently and smiled. Tears couldn't help but overflow out of their eyes, and they accepted them, knowing that bottling up would do nothing but harm them.

 _One year ago today, I climbed up the mountain in which no one returns, alone._

 _One year ago today, my life was changed forever._

 _One year ago today, I sought this place looking to die, but instead, I was reborn in the best way possible._

Frisk looked back at the hallway of Toriel's old home, and then back out to Snowdin. They reminisced about their experiences, their wonder at the strange new world of the Underground around them, the first warm feeling of Toriel hugs and Butterscotch Pie, the burns of her trial, the fear and then relief of their meeting with Sans and the struggle to contain laughter at Papyrus' antics. The panic of battling Undyne, the excitement of finding a new friend in Alphys and the exhaustion from Mettaton's schemes. Then Asgore, and Flowey after that...and then...Asriel Dreemurr. Frisk let out a sigh when thinking about him.

 _"I don't want to let go,"_

Frisk remembered in that moment, wanting to squeeze tighter and whisper. _"Me neither."_

But, although they had many great moments in the Underground, what happened next was astounding to them. After breaking the Barrier, it was like everything had been reset. They had a family, a real one, that loved them for them, and a bunch of new friends too that always had their back. By saving the lives of everyone in the Underground, they had saved themselves. They left the Underground with a new sense of purpose, a new sense of determination that they could feel in their Soul every second of every day, no matter how trying it got. They had entered the Underground lost, scared, and bitter, but they had left with new hope. More tears fell and stained the dusty Ruins floor. Frisk clutched their Soul tighter, smiled wider, and exploded out of their tight sitting position into a starfish position on the floor. They laughed hysterically to themselves nostalgically. Oh, how far they had come since then! It seemed like such a journey for only a year gone by!

Frisk continued to laugh and cry, their stomach bouncing and limbs shaking with each chuckle. They didn't even hear the soft footsteps approaching them. Frisk looked up through their vision, though blurred with tears, to see Toriel standing over them, their ears dangling as she stared at Frisk with concern. "Frisk, my child, are you alright? What are you doing down here?" She asked.

Frisk smiled and wiped their tears away with their sleeve. "Thinking."

"About what?" Toriel asked.

"One year ago today, is when I met you," Frisk said.

Toriel blushed, water welling in her wide eyes before she chuckled lightly. "Frisk, I'm just a silly old lady who worries too much! Why would you spend hours to think about me?"

"Mom, I think it's about time I tell you a story." Frisk sat up, and Toriel sat beside them.

"Oh, a story. What is it called? Did you write it yourself? Or is it by some other human?" Toriel asked, intrigued.

"I guess you could say I wrote it. It's become one of my favorites." Frisk said.

"And its title?"

"The story I'm about to tell you is one I wrote myself. It's a tale of a world right underneath our feet. I guess you could call it, Undertale. Yeah, I think I'll call it that." Frisk explained.

Toriel smiled before adjusting her sitting and looking at Frisk with wide, eager eyes, anxiously waiting for Frisk to tell their story. Frisk took a deep breath and began.

"Once upon a time, two races ruled over Earth: Humans and Monsters..." Frisk began their story, and with that, Toriel was plunged into a story of Souls, and an interesting assortment of characters that were all too familiar, but through the eyes of a child, a protagonist that even she could relate to in her old age, and through those eyes, even in a story that she already knew, she learned some amazing things...

* * *

 _ ***Seeing how far you've come since you first experienced UNDERTALE, you are filled with DETERMINATION.**_

 **I have a lot of feelings, okay.**

 **The next chapter in Skimming the Surface was taking too long and I knew I had to make a tribute to the game that changed my life and genuinely made me a better person. So, for this chapter, just take a break from all the Genocide and let's focus on the amazing effect that the PACIFIST route of Undertale has had on us. Seriously, I've heard so many stories about how this game has changed people, it's unbelievable. It's my dream to do for people with my stories what Undertale has done for me and so many others. As I wrote this tribute, even though in hindsight I wouldn't consider it to be as great as some of the fanart I've seen lately, I took the role of Frisk, reminiscing through my experiences as I went through this amazing game. The tears, the laughs, the EVERYTHING!**

 **I guess, I don't even want to be as hard on myself about this as I am with everything else I write. I hold myself to a high standard when I write, and I try really hard to create quality content. I mostly get upset if my chapters are short, but I feel like I got my point across in this.**

 **I wouldn't say that Undertale was the one spark of hope that ignited my weary soul, and yes, I know I still have a crazy long way to go to getting better, but I do know this, Undertale was one of many sparks. It's a masterpiece no matter who you are. It united a fanbase of all people, and best of all, it changed lives in ways that surpassed the way it changed me. Gosh, darn it, that kind of art deserves praise and respect!**

 **I may have missed the anniversary by a few days, but I just hope, that on that day and every day, that we Undertale fans look past the millions of different ways that Sans is interpreted, the countless AUs, good and bad, and smutty fanfic. That we look past our differences and celebrate that one year ago on that day, we were all Frisk. We were all the fallen child for different reasons. We had all fallen down in our own respects, whether it be mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, socially, whatever, and Undertale helped us on the journey to making it back to the Surface of peace and happiness.**

 **Thank you, Toby Fox, and thank you, Undertale.**

 **And now, with our regularly scheduled program.**


	18. Beginning of the End

As Frisk stepped onto the trail that led to Mt. Ebott, memories rushed over them like a rip current, sucking them into flashbacks of the past, flashbacks of that fateful night. As Frisk walked, they closed their eyes and ignored the snow falling on their sweater and getting caught in their short hair that blew in the dry breeze.

That night was not cold, but it was humid, moist with precipitation. Thunder echoed through Frisk's ears like cannon and gun fire and lighting flashed blindingly, illuminating the shadows of the trees that loomed over the trail, their forms like monsters and demons in the night and their branches like claws that could reach out and snatch the small body of Frisk. The harsh wind rustled the leaves to make a sort of white noise that clashed with the rain. There was no moonlight or stars, all blocked by storm clouds. Heavy rain pattered against the forest trail and Frisk's face. Mud whipped Frisk's legs and clothes as they sprinted through the trail, only armed with a stick and their wits clouded with sadness. As Frisk continued to sprint, tears flowing with the rain down their face, they thought back to the legends of the mountain they sought to climb.

 _Legends say those who climb the mountain never return..._

 _Good._ Frisk thought as they reached the base of the mountain and jumped on the slope, their worn sneakers slipping against the surface of the rugged mountain as they clung to the first handhold of many, their body weak from running. Frisk gritted their teeth and tried to keep their vision from becoming too blurred by tears as they climbed and climbed, not hindering to the cuts and scrapes they endured, nor exhaustion or slip-ups...they had the safety of knowing that these would be the last wounds they ever had to face. Frisk didn't even stop to breathe once they made it to the top. The entrance to the inside of the mountain was still an empty, dark void even when a flash of lightning revealed the landscape of the summit.

With another flash of lightning and clap of thunder, Frisk was back in the present, the reality they enjoyed better than that dark, surreal nightmare of the past. They referred to the past as a different world, a fictional one, even. And that Frisk...the one that jumped down Mt. Ebott, well, that was a completely different person. There was no longer a summer thunderstorm, just a sunrise that painted the sky with fire and caused the early winter frost to sparkle as daylight rose over the shadow of the mountain. Frisk stood at the summit of Mt. Ebott, looking into the dark void of an entrance with somber nostalgia. A small knapsack with a rope inside was slung across their back. Frisk pulled out the rope, tied it tightly around the trunk of a sturdy tree, then wrapped the other end around their waist. They started to climb down into the mountain, one foot at a time...

* * *

DONG! DONG! DONG!

Church bells echoed through the streets of Mt. Ebott that Sunday morning as Quinn, Iris, Willow, and Flora trekked to the mountain the town was named after. The skies were cloudy, and a light snow drifted through the area, but it was a wet snow, not the kind that accumulated. Frisk had left early that day, leaving Quinn, Iris, and Willow to escort Flora to the True Lab, where she was planned to stay until her situation was figured out. Iris and Flora had changed into simple outfits, just T-shirts and volleyball spandex. Willow had managed to get out of bed in her fleece Pokemon pajamas and Quinn wore their lab coat over a dark green polo and jeans. Iris and Willow walked behind Flora, with Iris holding Flora's arms behind her back and Willow covering the rear of the line. Quinn led the group to the trail. Flora had the same, dull, depressed expressions as a caged animal, Iris and Quinn seemed on edge for separate reasons, and Willow held her head low, her stomach getting increasingly nauseous with each church bell toll. Her eyes moved to Flora, and she was the first one to really speak all morning.

"Quinn, what's gonna happen once we get to the Underground?" Willow asked softly.

"Were you not listening to the plan just fifteen minutes ago?" Quinn snapped.

"It was still pretty vague...and I don't understand why Iris has to hold Flora so _harshly_. If you don't treat her like an animal, she won't act like one." Willow said.

"Aw, that's really cute, Willow." Iris smiled and looked back at Willow whose face instantly turned cherry red.

"This isn't about her. I know she would never act like an animal...but Chara would. That's why we need to keep going." Quinn said. "The least we can do is make things easier for Frisk. They haven't been in that mountain since...well, their last experiences down there weren't so nice, let's just end it at that."

"I'd say part of that is your fault, Quinn." Flora's head suddenly lifted and grinned creepily, her eyes tinted red.

Quinn's shoulders tensed before they whipped their head around to growl at Flora. "Quiet, you." They bared their teeth before looking back at the oncoming trail. Willow flinched at Quinn's words, whereas Flora just snickered.

They continued to walk towards the mountain, and once they reached the base, Iris and Willow struggled to carry Flora up to the summit while still keeping her restrained. Quinn knew that if Iris and Willow let go of her for one second, Chara would see it as an opportunity to escape. Frisk had left a rope to aid the group in climbing down into the mountain safely, and Quinn was an excellent guide for leading them throughout the Underground...well, for quickness, Quinn managed to find the channels that the River Person used to transport people throughout the Underground. Quinn had even salvaged a boat to take them to Hotland. Nevertheless, Flora was still in awe, seeing as she had never been to the Underground before. From the strange anomaly of underground snow in Snowdin to the beautiful phosphorescent crystalline structures in Waterfall, to the volcanic landscape of Hotland, Flora could only imagine what it was like for Frisk seeing all of this for the first time. Chara, on the other hand, was just bored...except for the strange realization that the River Person had disappeared without a trace. Thinking of where they could have gone...the Void...Chara's thoughts made Flora nauseous even though Flora had no idea why.

The group had finally reached Hotland. Flora noticed Iris slowly getting weaker as the moisture was being siphoned out of her body by the heat. Willow was sweating through her fur and fleece pajamas, and Flora could feel crystals of sweat forming on her skin as well. They stepped off the boat and walked up an inclining hallway carved in the hardened molten rock that lead to the entrance to the Lab. It was a stark, white building with the word "Lab" written on it in bright red letters. Seemed simple enough. Flora shrugged awkwardly, glanced at Quinn, who looked too focused, their dark eyes intensely staring at the laboratory, to notice her. She wasn't sure why...but Chara knew, and they relished in the fact that Quinn definitely had a past here, and a future too, at that.

The doors opened automatically, like the ones at Walmart, except a lot more ominous. However, once Flora stepped inside with the others, her anxiety melted away at the simple lab. Along the walls was a desk cluttered with papers, blueprints that Flora couldn't quite read, and a collection of three computers and a tablet. The first computer was a dusty, ancient model, the second, a brand new PC that Flora would consider "beefy" and the third, one of those Windows laptops that could convert to a tablet. Flora always thought those were really cool. She assumed that the new technology belonged to Quinn, and the old computer belonged to Alphys. Out of an elevator across the main room came Frisk, who looked like more of a mess than Flora. Their hair was dirty, and tangled, their eyes swollen and bloodshot with dark bags underneath them. Their sweater was soaked with sweat and it had a wayward coffee stain where it covered the lower left side of Frisk's abdomen. Flora felt a presence at her side, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chara. She assumed it was for some snarky comment.

 _"Ha! Look at this dork."_ Chara said after chortling.

Frisk approached them and directed Iris and Willow up an escalator leading up to another floor next to the elevator, which Flora inferred went strictly down from there. Her inference was quickly proven correct when Frisk and Quinn moved her to said elevator and took her down into what Frisk and Quinn referred to as the True Lab. It was dark, and the whole basement laboratory seemed like it was at the bottom of an ocean. The Lab was quiet, the only sounds being their footsteps and heavy breathing. After walking through a long and winding hallway with television screen-like devices that had text written on them on the walls, Quinn motioned to a bulletproof glass chamber that was more of a prison cell than anything else. It had a cot, small bathroom suite, and a desk. Flora stopped next to Quinn in front of the opened door, so close that their shoulders almost touched. Flora looked up at Quinn, who merely smirked and slapped Flora in the back so she stumbled into the cell before Quinn slammed the door violently and locked it before walking away, looking satisfied with themselves. Frisk meekly followed, leaving Flora to her solitude. Well, almost solitude.

* * *

As the day, or night, Flora couldn't tell in the laboratory, wore on, the cell she was in got darker, and the room outside got foggier, as though the cold, tiled floors were dry ice. Neither Chara or herself spoke or even thought of escape...how could they? They had no means of doing so. Flora thought of turning to Chara, who was sitting in the corner of the cell as a hallucination, but Chara read her thoughts and responded with a gruff, _"Don't even think about it."_ , even though that lead to more questions about Chara floating up in Flora's consciousness. _The_ Chara was sitting right across from her, and with all these questions she had bubbling inside, she didn't even think to ask the only person who could answer them. How stupid! As each inquiry surfaced, Chara read them and muttered vague responses such as _"None of your business."_ or _"It doesn't really matter."_ , as they slowly got more frustrated as the questions grew more and more probing.

"So, why did you jump down here? There has to be a reason, right? I don't know why Frisk did, but I heard it's similar to you, so maybe you could...tell me?" Flora asked. The Lab was about pitch black then. However, she could still sense that Chara's posture shrunk and their expression grew even duller and annoyed.

 _"It doesn't really matter,"_ Chara mumbled. Flora couldn't tell if it was grumpy or mournful. "You shouldn't really stick your nose into other people's business. Haven't you ever heard of the person who tried to fix a broken mirror?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. They cut themselves on its shattered pieces. I guess the only person who can help you is an equally broken soul. But...It wouldn't hurt for me to try." Flora shrugged. Chara just scoffed. "I'm being serious."

 _"Yeah, and I'm not,"_ Chara said. Flora could hear Chara shuffling. They must've turned their back to her. Flora sighed before being startled by a cheerful tapping on the glass of Flora's cell.

Flora whipped around to see Quinn, standing poised with their hands behind their back. "Quoth the Raven; 'Nevermore.'" They said before chuckling.

"Quinn? What are you doing here?" Flora asked, standing up and walking towards the glass. She placed her hands against the glass and stared at Quinn.

"I have a little present for you, Chara. Thought I might make this interesting. Frisk and the others aren't coming up with any answers. At least, not the right one. This is such an easy equation a Kindergartner can solve it." Quinn said.

"Don't talk in riddles, cow-goat. What is the answer?" Flora asked in a loud, demanding fashion, pressing herself harder against the glass.

Quinn stepped away from the glass. " _Love_." They said mockingly before scoffing. "Like I'm gonna tell the enemy!"

"Of course you aren't," Flora said, annoyed.

"To quote Shakespeare, all the world's a stage, and all the men and women are merely players; they have their exits and entrances. It's all one, infinite game. That's all it's ever been. Timelines and routes, all being fumbled and ordered in an endless void of numbers, codes, and stats. No one knows how it ends, and everyone is created with either a happy ending or a demise in mind. Well, I'm still not convinced that's how the world works. As this predicament was further ironed out, I pondered, how about I mess with the code a bit? You're my variable, Flora." Quinn explained.

"What's your plan? What are you going to do?" Flora asked. She wasn't entirely sure what Quinn was talking about.

"I'm going to give you this." Quinn unveiled their left hand, which dangled a long dagger. It was a simple one, no ornate designs. It reminded Flora of one she had seen in the hunting section of a sporting goods store. It had a sturdy handle coated in black rubber. The blade was long and polished like it was brand new. "I'm not even going to give you the scabbard," Quinn said.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Flora asked as Quinn opened the door to the cell and placed it in Flora's hands. The dagger was cold, but not as cold as Flora's hands.

With a flicker of malice in their eyes, Quinn grinned. "Whatever you want." They turned their back to Flora after shutting the cell door and locking it once more. "Good night." Quinn disappeared into the fog of the night and left Flora dumbfounded.

* * *

 **Wait crap I don't have a quote...Wow, that's disappointing.**

 **Ugh, I finally finished it. Seriously, that was getting stressful.**

 **Back on track with the actual story! Frisk, with the help of a few special people, is taking a stand against Chara, even though they really don't know how to get rid of them from Flora's head forever. It actually took me a bit to figure out how to fix this problem, but Quinn apparently already knows. It's not a soul thing. It's a psyche thing. You'll know soon enough, but I wouldn't mind hearing some guesses!**

 **Iris is like a bodyguard. Frisk knows that she's the best person to have against Chara, should the moment arise. Willow and Quinn can fight, but Iris is freaking talented, so why not? As for Willow, she's the kindness factor. Frisk knows that with Willow and their kindness combined, they could maybe get Chara out the Steven way. The Steven method is making people good by being super nice to them. As for Quinn, well, they're the extra brains, even though they're proving to not be what they seem. Seriously, Quinn, whose side are you on?**

 **Okay, I gotta be real for a sec. So, it's about fanfiction and my future on here. I'm not sure where** ** _Skimming the Surface_** **fits in here. Throughout the summer, I had so many ideas for the future of this story I pretty much talked my colleague's ear off about all the stuff I was going to do. After this arc I was going to have an arc where the main characters spend a summer vacation together, a short arc about the backstories and futures of Frisk and Quinn, and I was going to conclude with an arc about Iris and Willow, my first** ** _Undertale_** **monster OCs that I feel haven't gotten enough love. Then, I guess that's it. It's already getting harder to write this story for me, like what happened with** ** _Broken Together._** **I'm starting to think that every story I write is going to come with a period of depression halfway through where I just don't have inspiration. It seriously sucks, so I'm gonna have to find my way around that. This story was originally just going to be a collection of random oneshots that I wrote whenever I felt like it, but it spiraled into a story. Heh, that's not very surprising. Anyway, I absolutely love this story and I definitely want to finish it well, but that's where I am right now. Heck, my colleague even considered it my best piece of work, with Broken Together not too far behind, and I agree with her!**

 **After I finish** ** _Skimming the Surface_** **, as of right now, it doesn't look like I'll be all that active on here. I just started a new story,** ** _New Visitors_** **, which takes place in the** ** _RWBY_** **Universe. I'm super excited about it, but I'm not sure where it's gonna go, and I haven't received a review on it yet. Not only that, I feel like I've lost my edge. I don't know, something about my writing lately doesn't seem as good as it used to be. It's like something's missing, and it's also discouraging I don't receive many reviews, and even fewer reviews that critique, so I have literally no clue what I'm doing right or wrong. I totally get that writing reviews is repetitive and tiring, but as a writer, they totally help. Eh, I guess I'm being too demanding, huh?**

 **But, as I work on** ** _New Visitors_** **and** ** _Skimming the Surface,_** **I do have big plans for** ** _Broken Together!_** **I'm not gonna spoil it just yet...but it's gonna be big and it'll be a long, tiring project. I'm not sure how long it's going to take...but I'm excited about the outcome. It'll be the first time since the Spring that I pull out that dusty old flash drive containing it...it'll be like stepping into the Unknown.**

 **Anyway, REVIEWS are ENCOURAGED, as usual! And hopefully, update time will quicken as I slowly get back into the groove! Thank you so much for being patient!**


	19. Sayuri

"Mm. Mmm…" Willow murmured in her sleep, tossing and turning in her dusty sleeping bag on the floor. She curled up in the fetal position, then spread out again. "Nuh, no…" She mumbled. The sounds of her body rubbing against the sleeping bag and the movement of the covers woke Iris from her slumber. Her sleeping bag was right next to Willow's, and Frisk's was on the other side of Iris'. It was pitch black, and Iris couldn't see Willow or anything in front of her for that matter, but she could sense her.

"Wills…you okay?" Iris reached into the darkness until her hand touched Willow's shoulder. She was shaking. Iris could feel Willow's heart pounding. Iris squeezed Willow's shoulder firmly. "Willow, wake up, it's just a dream." She whispered. Willow gasped and looked around in panic, unable to see anything in the darkness. "Willow, it's okay, it's just me." Willow sat up hastily. It seemed she could sense Iris too. Her breathing was still quick and gasping, but somehow, Iris' presence began to calm her. "Nightmares?" Iris asked.

"Yeah…no matter how many I have, they scare me as though it's my first one," Willow said quietly.

"Yeah, that's the thing about nightmares." Iris chuckled nervously. "They always know how to scare you."

"This one was about you," Willow said in a whisper quieter than the previous volume.

"What?" Iris asked. She wasn't sure if she was the monster that scared her or the victim of said monster.

"Flora…she attacked us. She attacked you. You told me to leave and I did, but I watched you from a hiding place. You…you…almost died. But you refused. You transformed into this amazing suit of armor and had this amazing power."

"Wait, like a magical girl?"

"Yeah, like a magical girl. You were this wonderful, amazing, beautiful, magical girl…you held the power of everyone's hope, everyone's determination, and it was powerful. But it wasn't enough for Flora, for whatever thing was inside of her. I watched you die. Your dust blew on me, and-" Willow's voice broke more and more as she spoke. Her breaths were shaking, each rose and fell like a wave on a windy day. Her voice grew quicker as the story unfolded. "I don't know, I mean, you're my best friend, my family." Willow quieted to a murmur. "My only family, even. But, in that moment I wasn't sure what was going to happen next, with Flora, with my parents, with me, with anyone. My one reason…had just disappeared."

Iris couldn't believe what she was hearing. All her life, she believed she meant nothing to anyone, that everyone had someone, or something, that ranked higher than her in importance, but Willow, Willow had affirmed that maybe Iris was more than met her eye, at least, to someone. She struggled to piece words together but knew she had to. "W-Wills…"

"You know," Willow chuckled. "whenever I'm scared or just a little bit anxious, I think of you. So strong and brave and confident, not letting anything strike you down. I imagine you being there for me through everything, protecting me, or I just think of what you would want me to do, or what you would say, and I would feel better. You're my strength, Iris." Willow sniffled. In an unconscious movement, her hand brushed Iris'. Her heart jumped and she yanked it away.

Iris grasped Willow's hand voluntarily. "That's funny because more often than not, I look up to you for strength. Your perseverance, your humility, how you never submit and act like a victim. You inspire me. You give me hope. Don't forget that, okay?"

Willow's eyes welled with tears. "So...what does that make us?"

"I guess we're two rocks, nestled side by side on a shore faced with a raging tempest. We keep each other stable and protected from the waves, and one can't exist without the other." Iris mused.

"Iris."

"Hmm?"

"I've been…meaning to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Well, I've been nervous because, well, I thought it would be awkward because I know how you are and I'm not sure if you would feel the same way as me and things have just been really, really complicated with me and I just hope that you'll still mean all those things you said after I tell you and-" Willow's heart pounded and rose in her chest.

"Just spit it out, girlie," Iris said. She couldn't bear the anticipation.

"I…I…I'm just glad that you're my best friend, and I hope it never changes." Willow stuttered. Maybe next time. Maybe someday I'll tell her.

Iris felt a smile tug her lips. "Me too."

"Iris?" Willow asked timidly.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

* * *

Darkness. Just an endless void.

Flora grunted as she opened her eyes to find that they were not much use. Blinking and staring fused into one concept in the void. She rubbed her eyes with one hand as she sat up. There seemed to be a floor for her to sit on, and room for her to move. She squinted as if that would help her see. "Huh? Where am I? This must be a dream."

"You could say that." A familiar voice said from the right of her. Flora jumped at the sound and turned to it. It was the almost comforting sight of Chara, standing over Flora intimidatingly. Their form was strangely lit in the darkness. In fact, Flora's was too. Chara's eyes were hidden under their bangs, and the weapons on their belt glinted despite there being no light source in sight.

"Chara. What do you want?" Flora asked curtly. With Quinn playing games now, she knew that she had to help herself defeat Chara. She was reluctant to rely on her friends. Quinn said they weren't coming up with answers on how to fix it, how to fix her. Then again, was Quinn exactly trustworthy? What was once so simple, simple ties between trust and people was now tangled in a cat's cradle that gave Flora a dull headache when she tried to unravel it. Flora could sense that Chara knew of this confusion.

"You're _confused_ …they said. You don't know what you're talking about…they said." Chara paced behind Flora, whispering into her ear. "You're just a _child_ …they said." Chara chuckled maliciously before scoffing.

"What are you talking about?" Flora asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just know what it feels like, to have your uncertainty be used to control you. It's so, so easy. Heh, I see why they liked doing it." Chara said. They sounded nostalgic and wistful.

"Who's they? Who are you talking about?"

"Mm. Maybe you'll know someday. Maybe you won't." Chara placed a hand on Flora's shoulder. It was gentle as it crept up Flora's neck like a spider. Chara's touch made Flora feel woozy. Flora tilted her neck and closed her eyes. Chara seized Flora's neck in a choking vise, shocking Flora awake again. "I'm hoping for the latter." Chara snarled. "But for now, I'll use their tactics." Flora struggled in Chara's grip. Flora growled, baring her teeth. "How cute. I'm going easy on you compared to them."

"Are you talking about abusers? Bullies? Is that it? Is this some…argh…revenge?" Flora choked. Chara gripped her tighter.

"You don't know me at all," Chara said through gritted teeth. They released their choking grip, placed their other hand on Flora's shoulder gently, and from that chains slithered from the ground and snaked around Flora's body. Flora's eyes widened. She yelped and struggled, but it was no use. Two chains with shackles on the end, like serpents, seized Flora's wrists. The shackles tightened on her the more she struggled. A third chain shot up and snatched her neck in its jaws, keeping her still and voiceless. Chara stepped back from Flora and chuckled. "I can feel your heartbeat fusing with mine. I can hear your thoughts, screaming for help while I do nothing. You know, I have to thank Quinn for sending you into my talons. I'll be sure to give them the best present I can give…relief."

With Flora being nothing more than a helpless bystander, Chara lifted their arms towards the heavens. The chains on Flora's arms glowed and Flora's arms lifted with Chara's. She was a puppet. Flora closed her eyes as tight as she could, thinking that would prevent Chara from waking up in her form in the real world. Rising in her throat was the desperate vibrations of words. They burst from her mouth in a chorus of two voices. Flora was but a voice in the back of her own mind, and Chara was at the wheel. Her eyes flushed dark red, and triumphantly, Chara cackled in a sing-song way, "I'm coming for you, Frisk!"

* * *

Flora's body jerked to life, but Flora couldn't quite see what was happening. Chara saw from their view of laying on the floor that Quinn was at the door, waiting, and the knife that was bestowed upon Chara was laying inside Flora's sweatshirt, a perfect hiding place. Chara made Flora pull the knife from the sweatshirt and stand. They made eye contact with Quinn, who smiled. Chara smiled back. It was difficult to tell what time it was since the True Lab was always dark. Both Chara and Quinn were shrouded in shadows, but still slightly visible in the somber lighting, "Hello, Quinn." Chara said.

Quinn snickered. "Hello, Chara." They had changed into a long, black wool trench coat with grey leggings and tall leather boots underneath of the same color. Around their neck was a floral scarf stuffed into the coat.

Chara approached the door of the cell so that they could be closer to Quinn. "So tell me, code master, what exactly is your plan?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," Quinn replied.

"Oooh, mysterious. I like you." Chara said, their tone like honey before jabbing the knife into the glass door. The blade ran through, the tip almost touching Quinn's chest. The glass was cracked around where the blade went through. "But I don't like being kept in the dark," Chara growled.

Quinn chuckled. "Feisty one. Just do what you do best, and we should be fine."

"We're not…we're not partners, alright?" Chara scoffed.

Quinn grinned a malevolent grimace, unlocked the cell door, and opened it. "Are you sure?" Chara glared at Quinn and yanked the knife out of the door. She attempted to stab Quinn, who dodged with ease. Chara attempted again but to no avail. "What? You think I'm just gonna stand there and take it?" Quinn said. Chara snarled in frustration and kept trying to strike Quinn, who coaxed them further and further away from the cell, only costing them one rip in their sweatshirt, Chara becoming more enraged with each missed thrust. They both eventually made it to the elevator leading up to the original Lab. Chara leaped in front of Quinn, blocking them from the door.

"Ha! Nowhere to run now!" Chara cackled. "I'll kill you first."

Quinn smiled. "Do it." They winked their right eye but kept it closed. Chara smirked and lunged at Quinn, but instead of feeling the satisfaction of hitting flesh, Chara was helpless as their body was lifted and thrown away from the elevator. They landed barely on their feet and growled. Quinn had a blue flame flickering in their eyes and in their palm. The elevator made a perky dinging noise as it opened, and Quinn waltzed in. Chara recovered from the fall quickly, but by the time they jumped to get to Quinn, the door closed. They face-planted into the elevator door.

"Good. Go get help. See what good it does you." Chara barked. Their posture was low and they paced the dark halls of the True Lab. Chara had gone from an annoyance, a fear that lingered but never presented itself, to a bloodthirsty animal, lurking in the shadows and the strange fog that blanketed the floor of the Lab, waiting to spring. As patient and as elusive as a cat, Chara was a force that made Flora fear for her friends. Then again, surely Frisk would know what they were dealing with…right?

* * *

Five minutes after getting up, Frisk was pacing the floor as Iris and Willow struggled to stand. Frisk's sweater had collected many more wayward coffee stains and they had run out of melatonin pills in the night. Their shoulders were tense and underneath their eyes were dark bags, darker than usual. Frisk's hair was tossed in a tangled, static-y mess. They wrung their hands nervously. Iris and Willow had never seen Frisk in such a state.

"Yo, Frisk, are you alright?" Iris asked with a yawn.

"Yeah, I think it's best if we all calm down. Quinn is downstairs checking up on her." Willow added meekly, despite being clearly afraid herself.

"Nothing's gonna happen. Even if something does, you're stronger than them. We're stronger than them." Iris said.

Frisk stopped pacing. They looked to Iris and Willow, who were now sitting upright on their sleeping bags. Frisk took a deep breath, then smiled. "Thanks."

Iris jumped from her seat and slammed her fist into her palm. "We'll beat them, even if it means punching them out."

Frisk laughed. "Alright, just, be careful. Besides, maybe Quinn came up with something. They seemed to be deep in thought last night."

"Yeah, because they're practically a genius," Iris mumbled.

Ding! Frisk, Iris, and Willow perked at the sounds of the elevator and rushed to greet Quinn, hoping in their hearts for good news. It was brighter in the original Lab, and Quinn's form was completely illuminated. Their white and black fur was rustled and the side of their sweatshirt was torn by a wayward knife swipe. Their wide-eyed expression tipped Frisk off right away. The elevator door closed ominously.

"Quinn, what's going on? Are you hurt?" Frisk asked, their voice rising in panic.

"I'm fine, don't worry, but Chara is down there…and they've escaped." Quinn replied solemnly.

"Then we have to go catch them!" Willow shouted.

"They're armed." Quinn gestured to their sweatshirt.

"Aw, come on!" Iris groaned. "How did that happen?"

Quinn shrugged. "Beats me."

"Wait, don't you think that they're going to use the elevator to get to us?" Willow asked. Quinn, Frisk, and Iris all turned to look at her. "Just sayin'." Willow shrugged.

"She's not wrong," Quinn muttered.

"We need a plan." Iris rushed to say, expecting everyone to just dash into the elevator and run into the True Lab without thinking.

"We're kind of cornered, Iris. Chara will be waiting at the entrance either way." Willow said quietly.

"Then I'll go down first and if I need back up, I'll call you." Iris shrugged. Her palms glowed blue as she summoned a spear. "I'll even knock them out if you want."

"No, that's not safe." Frisk sighed.

"Aaaw." Iris moaned as she flicked the spear into thin air.

"She's actually onto something. If we knock Flora out, we could get Flora to fight Chara inside her head. Chara is holding Flora prisoner in her own mind, so if Chara can't do anything consciously, Flora might break free and get the upper hand." Quinn said.

"Wouldn't she need help, though? One of us could be knocked unconscious too, and we could make some sort of…soul connection? Just for a little bit?" Willow added.

"You're coming up with some great ideas, Will. You're so smart." Iris punched Willow on the shoulder playfully.

"Heh, well…t-thanks, Ire." Willow stuttered, blushing and rubbing the back of her neck.

"Soul connection…it's a stretch. Maybe we could try it?" Quinn said. They were trying their best to hide their excitement.

"No, we're not doing that. I can try to talk to Flora through Chara when we fight. Let's just get down to the True Lab and see where we go from there." Frisk said. They even had the voice of a leader. They could talk and tell directions and people were bound to listen.

"Alright!" Iris slammed her fist into her palm. "Let's ride." She reached over Quinn to press the elevator button despite her short and stocky body. After a few seconds, the door opened, beckoning them with another ding. The light inside the elevator flickered and sparked. Frisk, Iris, Quinn, and Willow stepped into the elevator with certainty and let the door close, locking them into a straight shot to death, or worse. It was cramped in the elevator, and it didn't help morale when the light went out in a small explosion of electrical sparks. The small space was now pitch black. Iris and Willow's hands subconsciously searched the dark for each other and once found, grasped each other tightly.

Ding! What was once perky and lighthearted now sounded like a church bell, a musical cue foreshadowing demise. The elevator door opened again and thick fog rolled into the elevator. It reached up to Quinn's knees and Iris and Frisk's thighs. "They turned off the fans," Frisk muttered.

The hum of machinery filled the group's ears. Like a wind, the white noise blew away all complex thoughts. The True Lab always gave Frisk, Iris, and Willow the creeps, but Quinn felt strangely at home. The group stayed close to each other, wandering the True Lab, oblivious to what might be stalking them under the fog.

Iris let go of Willow's paw and summoned another spear. It hummed like a lightsaber, unlike the machines in the True Lab, and it glowed bright blue, similar to a glow stick. Her eyes scanned the Lab cautiously, bouncing back and forth between one wall and its opposite, searching for Chara wherever they might manifest themselves. Chara was no longer human, but a specter. Iris saw it in what they did to Flora. Flora stopped eating, taking only small morsels just to survive. Her form grew skeletal and her skin deathly pale. Her eyes were bloodshot and bagged. Chara had charred Flora from the inside out like a wildfire. She glanced at Willow, and noticed how similar they were. Exhausted, anxious, imprisoned, apathetic. Maybe Flora didn't want to kill. Maybe it wasn't her choice. Maybe she was being beaten into submission by her own thoughts, her body being merely a puppet.

Iris leaned over to Willow. "Psst. Willow." She whispered. There was a strange obligation for everyone to keep their voices down.

"Shh! I thought I heard something." Quinn stopped Iris and Willow from taking any further steps with their arm. Despite telling Iris to be quiet, they shushed them quite loudly. Everyone paused for a moment of silence. Willow timidly raised her paw. "What is it, Willow?"

"I don't hear anything," Willow said quietly. Iris snickered.

Quinn scoffed, blushing in embarrassment and turning their nose up at Willow. "Just trust me, alright!"

Tsk, tsk, tsk! What sounded like the clicking of claws on tile caught the group's ears. They perked at the sound in unison. Iris clutched her spear tightly. "Now I hear something."

Willow clenched her fists, inspired by Iris' subtle actions. Quinn looked calm, and Frisk, incredibly anxious. There was still, timid quiet as the group lay in wait in their tense battle poses.

Frisk's vision flashed black and white, their soul burning red. Quinn bared their teeth and jumped behind Frisk. "Look out!" Quinn barked as Chara leaped from the shadows, knife ready to stab Frisk in the back. Quinn's eye and hand glowed blue again as Quinn caught Chara mid-air, keeping them from reaching either of them. Quinn threw Chara away and left Iris to go after them. Iris jumped into action as soon as Chara recovered, engaging in a fast-paced brawl with Chara. Quinn pushed Frisk away from the brawl.

* * *

Both Quinn and Frisk knew that it was Frisk Chara wanted, but resistance lingered in Frisk's mind. They felt guilty for leaving their friends to fight their battles. Nausea writhed in their stomach as Quinn escorted Frisk down the dark, foggy halls to another room in the Lab. Frisk knew it by no other name than 'the flower room'. The walls were mostly mirrors on the left side. The right wall was lined with dead, once golden flowers. Their petals had been reduced to dust on the floor. The sounds of the moving fans on the other side of the room grew deafening and the breeze generated by them pushed Frisk's baggy sweater and short, dark brown hair. Quinn's ears blew back, and only their coattails budged. "You'll be safe in here. It's you they want." Quinn said, their expression solemn.

"But what about Iris, and Willow, and Flora?" Frisk asked.

"They'll be fine, Frisk. You need to worry about yourself right now." Quinn said, their tone honest and reassuring. "I'll stand guard. We can only hope that Iris and Willow make it out alive."

That last sentence struck a dissonant chord in Frisk's heart. "What kind of attitude is that? We can't just leave them there! What kind of friends would we be if we left them to die?"

"What kind of sibling would I be if I let you go out there?" Quinn yelled.

"Just because I choose not to fight doesn't mean I can't!" Frisk cried, their nut-brown eyes pleading. Quinn looked down at the small, frail human before them. Their sibling, Frisk, a thin, weak, skeleton of a person. No weapon but their hope, their determination.

Quinn frowned. "Then prove it, and I'll let you leave." They summoned a flame in their right palm. Frisk's determined face faltered. They saw Toriel in Quinn's eyes, their authoritative hand, their gentle yet intimidating expression. Frisk and Quinn's vision turned monochrome and Frisk's soul glowed…

* * *

Meanwhile, Iris held her own against Chara. She kept Chara's frantic, desperate stabs at bay with the spear in her right hand while summoning spears for Chara to dodge with her left. Only two spears hit Chara, the rest kept flying until they made contact and exploded on the wall.

Left, right, parry, thrust, both blades were stuck against each other. Iris dragged her spear, moving to the left then letting go. She ducked under Chara and punched her in the jaw. Chara staggered back, clearly taken by surprise. Willow darted to Iris' aid, spraying a blaze of fire magic at Chara while they were recovering. "Willow, get out of here! I can handle this!" Iris shouted. She raised her left fist in the air and behind her twenty spears materialized.

"That's what you said last time!" Willow shouted in reply, continuing to shoot blasts of fire at Chara.

"What? What do you mean, last time?" Iris asked. The spears rained down, enveloping the room in smoke.

Chara knew their strength was low, but it wasn't like them or Flora to give up. Their newfound host soul wouldn't allow them to die easily. The spears ripped their body. Blood oozed from the cracks. Willow's magic seared through Chara's clothes and skin mercilessly. But they didn't care. All of this meant nothing to them. In the smoke caused by exploding spears and wayward fire magic, Chara found a way to get out of their opponents' vision. One tactic Chara could always count on was the element of surprise. They recognized the disorientation caused by adrenaline, how it could make one alert but mindless. There was no logic there, only the most primitive of instincts. Chara leaped towards Iris' neck, but Iris caught them and grabbed their arm before it could reach her. Chara growled, struggling against Iris' grip. Chara kicked the side of Iris' knee. Iris grunted in pain and let go, but Chara engaged too quickly to allow Iris to summon a new spear.

Iris kept her fists up towards her face, only removing them for attacks. Iris' strength was close range, but she couldn't get close, not with Chara waving that dagger around. Iris dove in for a sweep kick to knock Chara off balance, but Chara kneed Iris in the forehead as she slid low. This blow knocked Iris on her bottom and disoriented her. Chara stomped on Iris' stomach and held their foot there so that she stayed pinned to the ground. Looking at the two of them, Chara had more wounds. Blood spilled from their host body in rivers and onto the floor from multiple wounds down their torso. Bruises and scratches marred Chara's face, no, Flora's face. Iris stared wide-eyed into the eyes of her friend, but couldn't find her anywhere. There was only red irises, an empty, crazed look, and her reflection staring back at her.

Willow had grown weak from using too much magic. She couldn't do much to help her friend, her love, anymore. She looked on, frozen in her place. She stared at her timid, burnt paws, then back at the scene that unfolded in front of her. It was quiet in those seconds. All excitement, all adrenaline had died. Iris' quick breaths and Willow's pounding heart still remained at the previous tempo. In Flora's face, Chara's trademark grimace grew larger. They raised their dagger. Iris took a deep, gasping breath, and closed her eyes in acceptance, in relief. Willow's eyes widened at Iris' expression. Her gaze went back and forth between Chara and Iris. Chara brought down her dagger. Willow ran toward the human. "NO!" Willow screamed. She tackled Chara before the knife could breach Iris' skin. Willow and Chara were in a dogpile on the floor, and Iris opened her eyes. She jumped up quickly and summoned a spear.

"Willow! What the hell are you doing?" Iris barked.

"Saving you!" Willow replied. Chara squirmed underneath her.

"Get off me, you brute!" Chara grunted. They reached up and cut Willow across the back as a warning. Willow jumped up and scurried back to Iris.

"I told you to stay out of this!" Iris shouted.

"Wow, not even a thank you," Willow mumbled.

"Just, go!" Iris shoved Willow towards the hallway where Frisk and Quinn were last seen. Willow looked back with watery eyes and a pleading expression. "Leave!" Willow scurried off, and Iris watched her be swallowed by shadows. Iris smiled and turned back to focus on Chara, only to find that they were now right in front of her.

Chara smiled. "Surprise!" Iris staggered back in shock, and in one movement Chara slashed Iris' right eye. Iris released a deafening howl in pain and stumbled backward until she reached the wall, clutching her face, and through her fingers blood spilled through. It ran down her arms and pooled on the floor. It stained her clothes and got in between her scales. Everything went black, and more painful blows ensued in the darkness.

Willow perked at Iris' screams and sprinted back to find Chara pacing back and forth across the area and Iris slumped against the wall, unconscious, the blood draining from her body and her eye. More cuts were on her than there were before. Chara's blade was now coated in blood and grey dust that blew off in silver wisps. Willow gasped, tears welling in her eyes. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Willow screamed at Chara, her fangs bared.

Chara whirled to face her. "Didn't see that coming, did you? Ha! Geddit, because I gouged Iris' eye out? A lovely trophy that the Undying's daughter will never forget!"

Willow growled but kept what little calm she had to walk to Iris and pick her up bridal style. Chara watched without expression as Willow carried Iris to the elevator. She stepped in with her. "I'll get you to a hospital. You'll live. You have to." Willow whispered between broken, shaking breaths as the elevator door closed.

* * *

 **Meanwhile…**

The fans kept smoke from clogging the room. Frisk has dodged almost every attack Quinn threw at them, and it seemed no use to talk any sense into them, but Frisk persisted. Quinn's expression was unmoving, but their own determination was slowly being chipped away by Frisk's arguments, pleads, and cries. Every attack was unasked for. So desperately Quinn wanted to let Frisk win, to stop this nonsense, but they knew they couldn't. They were expendable, but Frisk was too important. They couldn't let them go back into the fray. When Quinn did hit them, Frisk's winces and grunts in pain as Quinn's magic seared through them were like blows to Quinn's soul.

After another blazing whip, screams echoed through the True Lab. Frisk and Quinn froze. They met eyes. "Iris!" They said at the same time, great worry burdening their tone.

"We have to help them! Now, will you listen to me?" Frisk asked.

"Yes, but we must hurry. Those could be her final cries or her first. Either way, Iris and Willow will need reinforcements." Quinn spun on their heels towards the door.

"Quinn," Frisk said. It was short and final, like the last note in a symphony. Quinn looked back. "I know you want to protect me, but, the best way to protect me is by letting me protect them. You, Iris, Willow, everyone else, they're the reason you have something to protect." A smile tugged at Frisk's lips.

Quinn grinned and nodded. "Right."

Frisk sprinted back to where the fight began with Quinn in tow. The fog had cleared. All furniture in the Lab was knocked over or destroyed completely. Blood had stained the floor, and wayward bits of dust were scattered like confetti. Chara stood in the center of it all, clothes, hair, face, blade, stained. Quinn stepped in front of Frisk and shoved them aside. "Where are they?" They asked sharply.

"Your little friends are alright," Chara said, smiling. "The lovesick fool is taking your valiant hero to the hospital. I left her just shy of death." Frisk growled behind Quinn, their eyes watering. "But, it wasn't her I want. She'll live, maybe."

"What did you do to her?" Quinn demanded.

"You'll see. Step aside, Dreemurr. You don't matter." Chara motioned Quinn to the elevator. Quinn bowed their head and sidestepped once. There, in their place, Frisk stood. "There you are," Chara said in a singsong voice. The room flashed black and white, with only Frisk's red soul, and Flora's purple soul in color.

"This isn't you, Flora, but I know you can't help yourself. Chara can't either. So, I'll help you instead-"

"Enough with the drama! Fight me!" Chara could barely contain their excitement. Finally, a fight only experienced in dreams. Chara shook their knife. The dust that had adhered to it sprinkled on the ground. Frisk held their head low, their eyes locked on Chara. Chara cackled. "Finally, I can-" She said as she sprinted towards Frisk, knife aimed at their heart but her sentence was cut off by surprise. Just as Chara's dagger would've sliced through Frisk's flesh, Frisk stepped away and darted past Chara, their face stoic. "What?" Chara slid to a stop and whirled around to see Frisk, without a single scratch. _This stupid form. Your weak, stringy legs, your frail arms, and even without a single ounce of fat on you, you're slower than that disgusting boss monster!_

Chara's thoughts echoed and somehow made it to Flora, who had giving up crying for help. She was voiceless in the prison. Every time she called, something would whisper to her, "But nobody came…" _Frisk, Frisk and Quinn, they'll know what to do. If not Quinn, Frisk. But, not without my help. I have to fight too. I can't be a victim._ Flora began to stir, struggling under the bonds Chara placed on her. They were like elastic and moved with her. They stretched as far as she reached and grew tighter with each movement, but nevertheless, she persisted.

Even with a soul kept in a cage, she still had a will to live. She tried to beckon her soul back to her. "Please, please…" Flora whispered. She tried to imagine bonds around Chara, something to keep them in place. _I'm not a victim, I'm not a victim, I'm the one in possession here, not Chara. There are no bonds here, it's only my imagination. Flora forced her eyes shut and shook her head despite the shackle keeping her neck in place. There are no shackles. There are no chains. I'm Flora, not Chara. I wouldn't kill anyone, and I never wanted to. What happened was an accident. I forgive myself for that. I'm not a bad person._ Flora glanced up, her eyes open. "And neither is Chara."

The bonds were gone. Chara materialized in front of Flora. "You don't know anything," Chara said, not even looking at Flora.

"Yes, I do!" Flora shouted. She dashed and pinned Chara to the floor of the mindscape. This had repercussions on the outside. Chara stopped and stumbled, dropping their knife. They held their head and grunted.

Frisk turned to Chara. "It's Flora! She's fighting back!" Frisk ran to Chara and pinned them down. Flora smiled at the help from Frisk and held Chara still, enduring kicks and screams in the process.

"Give it up! You're not wanted here!" Flora snarled.

"I know that!" Chara roared.

"Then leave! You lost! You will lose even if it means I have to die! Take it, and leave!" Flora screamed.

Chara frowned. "Okay." And with that, they were gone.

"And don't come back," Flora mumbled with finality. She had regained feeling in her body again. It was officially hers again. Pain and exhaustion and hunger surged through her. She was anxious for what was next, how she and her friends were going to pick up these pieces, but the fatigue had taken over her first. She would have to find all of her answers when she woke…

* * *

 **_Anyone, anyone, wake me again. Horrid dreams, I couldn't breathe, in the world of the dead..._**

 _ **-Hikari Yo (O Light)- Kikuo**_

 **Guess who's baaaack?**

 **Is anyone out there?**

 **And my dramatic tension is just as bad as it was when I last updated this haha**

 **I know it must be really annoying to have an author not update for a while, and I'm not gonna give any excuses. Sooo...if you hate me, go ahead. Let it all out. If you're actually really happy to see me, well, thanks. It's good to be back. I'll be continuing this story, now.**

 **Aaaand now about the chapter. The ideas for this chapter were steeping in my brain juices for a really long time. Would I say I over-steeped it a little? Yes. Would I say that this is a bit disappointing? Absolutely. But, I got it done, and there are some morsels in here that I'm still proud of. I can't really explain everything that happened in this chapter, so I'll just leave it to the readers to decode everything haha**

 **Also, if you're wondering about the title, Sayuri is Japanese for "Orange Lily", which symbolizes hatred/revenge in Hanakotoba (Japanese flower language).**

 **Um...well...REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the events of this chapter, and what comes next!**


	20. Cognitive Dissonance Pt II

Squeeeak! Tisssss… Flora turned the knob in Frisk's shower, preparing to finally clean herself after a week of going without. Steam rose from the warm spray. Flora closed the curtain and stripped. Loose dust fell from her clothes, and they were damp and crusty from dried blood. Her bare feet were cooled on the white tile floor, but the heat from the shower suffused the rest of the room. Flora caught a glance of herself in the mirror as she made her way back to the shower. She stopped and stared. She couldn't even recognize herself. She was a stranger, a revenant, a skeleton. In that mirror stood a distorted image of what was before. Flora wasn't sure where she would go after what happened, what it all meant. She felt relief when it came to her freedom, but all she could think about was the sensation of every strike, the splatter of blood that followed. The voices of her friends echoed in her head, from the screams of Iris to the sly, smooth tone of Quinn. The one that stuck out the most, though, was Willow's mournful cry.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

 _What have I done?_ Flora couldn't help but contemplate all of her experiences. _It wasn't me doing it…or was it? I mean, I brought them to me in the first place. Maybe I wanted this? But…I didn't. It doesn't matter if I wanted it, does it? Either way, I have to deal with the consequences. Is this some sort of punishment? Was this what Chara wanted? Is that why they left me so easily? They didn't want to kill, but to make me feel…_

Flora stepped into the shower, the hot water burning her at first. She reached and adjusted the temperature. She was able to immerse herself in the water. It seemed to calm her body, but not her mind. _Quinn is driving me to the hospital to see Iris today. Frisk and Willow haven't left her side since last night. What kind of friend am I? How could I have let this happen?_ Flora deeply cleansed herself of all the blood and dust, from both her own wounds and spilled from her friends. The water going down the drain was a drab blend of red and grey. Her wounds still hurt. They burned near the epicenter and ached in the areas surrounding. The soap was excruciating. It seemed Flora's vision was blurred, her mind stuffed with cotton. Even among this contemplation, she couldn't think clearly. Every movement was slow and felt surreal. She reached for the shampoo and applied it. She lathered it in slowly. _Chara, of all the things you did, why did you have to cut my hair?_

After Flora finished her shower, she felt only a featherweight off of her shoulders. She made her way to the Dreemurr guest room. Toriel had stripped the bed of all the blankets, sheets, and pillows for washing, and Quinn had left an outfit on the barren mattress. It was a pair of black leggings and a green and yellow sweater dress. _Of course._ Flora thought, scoffing to herself. She put on the outfit anyway, since she had no choice in the matter, and went upstairs. Quinn was waiting for them in grey sweatpants and a navy blue hoodie. They smiled a grin Flora had grown sick of. "Ready to go?" Quinn asked.

"Yes," Flora mumbled.

"You look good," Quinn said awkwardly, turning to exit the house.

"Why did you do it?" Flora asked.

Quinn glanced back. "Hmm? Do what?"

"You gave me, no, Chara, that knife. You provoked them. You set them loose, even though you knew the consequences. You claimed to know the answer and yet you did nothing. You put everyone in danger and then tried to protect them! You let Chara almost kill Iris! I'm not going to let that go. I'm not going to forget about it. What were you planning? If you care so much about these things, about souls and timelines and preserving them, why did you do all of those things?" Flora approached Quinn and stared them in the eyes as she spoke, her words sharp and aggressive. "You said it was some sort of test, to prove the whole timeline thing wrong. Well, were your results satisfactory? Huh? Are you happy because of what you did?"

Quinn was quiet for a moment. They avoided Flora's eyes. "…Not really."

"Then why did you do it?"

"I…don't know."

"Wow, what a great answer. You might've killed someone last night, Quinn! Your impulsive actions could've let loose a genocide on our town, on our world! What if we hadn't been able to stop it? What then?"

"I wanted to test the stability of this!" Quinn shouted.

Flora took a step back. "What?"

"I wanted to see if this peace we're all enjoying would last. I wanted to see if destiny existed, if it was true that some were the heroes meant to be happy and if others were meant to be cast aside, to live their lives a nightmare, like Asriel and Chara." Quinn said.

"You put our lives in danger…for that? Are we just your test subjects? Your lab rats? Have you been manipulating us to trust you when really you don't care at all?" Words were spilling out of Flora's mouth. Ever since Chara entered her mind she wanted to ask these questions, to finally get some answers.

"I do care about all of you," Quinn began.

"You have a funny way of showing it," Flora muttered.

"Yeah, I guess I do! No, you're not just test subjects to me. This isn't just raw fascination. I need to know what our fates are, what mine is. We're at the mercy at rigid numbers and code, don't you see that? We're all puppets in some sadistic puppet show! I just wanted to throw the master a curve ball. But, the events of the past week have made me think that I should give it up. I'm glad you asked me all of those questions. You deserve to know, but I realize that I'm only letting whoever is behind this win if I make myself miserable searching for answers. I wish we could go back to when we were all blissfully ignorant, but my actions tainted that life we had." Quinn explained.

Flora was speechless once again. She found that happened often with Quinn. "But we can't go back."

"We can only work with what we have. There will be bumps. There will be questions left unsolved, but I don't care. We can only hope that the others will forgive and forget." Quinn said.

"Forgive? Like that's gonna happen." Flora scoffed.

"I forgive you. Frisk forgives you. Do you forgive yourself?" Quinn asked.

"Um…y-yeah, I guess," Flora said. It was really just for show, but Quinn's words made her think. "And I forgive you, too."

"Alright. Then Iris and Willow will too. Let's go." Quinn smiled a toothless smile. Flora wasn't so sick of it this time. It was as though she was seeing Quinn smile for the first time. Not all of Flora's questions were answered, and Flora couldn't trust Quinn just yet, but in those moments, she didn't care.

Flora's thoughts left the matter during the drive to the hospital. She kept flashing back to Iris' body, thrown against the wall, blood gushing from where her eye used to be. She also thought of her mother, who was also in the hospital because of her. She decided then, that she wouldn't visit her mother, not yet. She wasn't sure what she would even say to her.

"You're being awfully quiet over there," Quinn said quietly, their eyes not leaving the road.

"Just thinking," Flora replied.

"That's dangerous," Quinn said jokingly.

"Why _did_ Chara leave so easily?" Flora asked.

"They left easily?" Quinn answered with a question, bewildered.

"I pinned them to the ground and told them they weren't wanted. They said that they knew that. I told them to leave, to accept that they lost, and they just…left. They said, 'Okay', and left. Why did they put up so much of a fight before only to leave that quickly? It makes no sense. Do you think they're planning something?"

"Maybe they're just tired." Quinn shrugged.

"Be serious, Quinn," Flora said.

"I am being serious! What if they just decided, maybe I should stop forcing myself on these people? What if they're tired of losing every single time? What if they just…gave up, finally?" Quinn raised their voice a higher volume with each sentence.

"I hope that's what happened. Maybe they'll leave Frisk alone too." Flora grew quiet again.

"Mm," Quinn grunted contemplatively. They glanced up. "We're here."

* * *

Quinn and Flora's shoes clicked against the tiled floors of the hospital corridors. Neither of them were wearing heels. Flora occasionally slid due to the flat soles of her Ugg boots. The hospital staff workers, doctors, nurses, others, bustling around with determined purpose were but a blur to Flora. Quinn and Flora knew Iris' room number and made a beeline there. It was similar to the room Iris stayed in when she fought the Amalgamate. Quinn and Flora lingered in the doorway once they reached the room. Iris was still unconscious, with Willow knelt beside the bed, her face buried in her hands. Frisk was standing over the both of them. Frisk had changed clothes and showered as well, but they still wore a pink and blue sweater and jeans. They acknowledged Flora and Quinn's presence. "She's in stable condition, but she lost a lot of blood…she should wake up at any time, really. We're lucky. The amount of dust on you last night was enough to make me think she wasn't gonna make it, Flora." Frisk said.

Flora sighed in relief. "Me too."

Willow lifted her head from the covers, her eyes swollen from crying. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Yeah…as long as she's okay…we're okay." A grin tugged at Willow's lips.

"She took some hard hits. She'll likely be in here for a while. " Quinn added.

"You should've seen what it took to keep her from falling apart. With the blood and how deep the cuts were, the flesh around the wounds started…turning to dust. It was like working with wet sand, but the doctors here fixed her up." Willow said.

Click! Clack! Click Clack! Click! Clack! The sounds of high heels on the floor grew louder and louder behind Flora. Two firm hands shoved Flora and Quinn, and Narcissus burst into the hospital room. "Out of my way, you two! Where is she? I heard what happened, is she okay?" Narcissus asked loudly. Her hair was straightened and pulled into two long pigtails. Flora thought she looked like Hatsune Miku.

"Nice to see you care a little bit," Quinn muttered.

"I don't just care a little bit! Who did this to her?" Narcissus asked demandingly, stomping her foot on the floor.

"It was an accident, nobody did anything. Besides, she's fine now." Frisk said hastily. Flora shot Frisk a subtle expression of gratitude from across the room.

"How is this fine?" Narcissus shouted. Frisk and Willow looked at each other, their mouths opening to reply before they were interrupted by stirring in the hospital bed. Everyone turned and faced Iris, who was finally waking.

Iris grunted and groaned as she sat up. Her left eye opened slowly, what existed in the absence of her right underneath a bandage. Flora had a hard time moving her body with her wounds, pain shooting with every movement, but she could only imagine how amplified the experience was for Iris. Iris' eye scanned the room. "I wasn't expecting an audience." She said, quiet and humorless.

"Iris! You're alright!" Willow dove in to hug her friend, only to be slapped away.

"Please...don't. It hurts." Iris turned her face from Willow, who was visibly upset. More footsteps approached and yet another visitor appeared in the doorway. It was Tripp, still in pajamas with some of the wildest bedhead Flora had ever seen.

"What happened?" Tripp was frantic, and he seemed out of breath.

"It's fine," Iris replied before anyone else could speak. "Just a fight."

"You said it was an accident!" Narcissus growled at Frisk.

"It doesn't matter. It's over. It's done." Iris closed her eye in resignation. "It touches me that you've all come, that you all care enough to stay with me... but, I want, no, I need for you all to leave. I'll be out of here soon, but for now, I just, need to rest."

"What? What about us? We spent all this time worrying about you and wasting our time here and-" Narcissus began, only to be silenced by a weakly raised hand.

"Papsta. Please." Iris spoke sternly, but earnestly.

Narcissus facial expression morphed from frustration to tender understanding. Flora was surprised at how Iris could tame her. Narcissus nodded solemnly, twirled on her heels, her twin tails swinging, and walked somberly out of the hospital room. Tripp followed, his tail swaying back and forth to a mournful tempo. Quinn tapped Flora on the shoulder. They whispered. "We should go."

"Why? Can't you see she's pushing us all away when she needs us the-" Flora protested.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just go." Quinn grabbed Flora by the wrist and pulled her out of the hospital room and out of the building itself. Flora couldn't help but surrender to Quinn's direction. She could only assume that Frisk and Willow left Iris to her solitude as well. She wanted time alone with her friend, to apologize, to beg forgiveness for her actions... but she also felt that deep down Iris had already forgiven her.

Winter had arrived at Mt. Ebott. It was early December, so her visit was on schedule. Her lonely tears descended as dancing snowflakes. Her shadow left the world dark and grey and cloudy. Her fingertips traced rosemaled designs on every window. Her sighing breaths brought the occasional wind, but other than that, all was still and dormant. Flora had not noticed before when she left the Dreemurr's house that morning. The air was crisp and bitter and slicingly cold. Quinn and Flora's breath manifested in short wisps of vapor. The snow fell and landed on their clothes and hair. Autumn had ended, and all was dead. Flora could only hope for a new, better beginning in spring.

* * *

Frisk was thankful for Flora. It seemed that Chara was completely gone for good thanks to her. When they returned home from the hospital, Frisk was conflicted whether or not to indulge in their freedom or spend time worrying about their friends. When they turned into bed that night, they swallowed their sleep aids and prepared for the first true dream they would have in a long time. It didn't even matter if it was a nightmare, it would still confirm Frisk's freedom from Chara's torture.

Frisk closed their eyes, and instead of the peaceful blackness or vivid dream they were expecting, there was Chara, but they weren't like themselves. They weren't smiling or pumping their chest as they whipped Frisk into another flashback. Their head was resting dismally on their knees, which were pulled up to their chest in a fetal position. Chara's trademark red eyes were closed, and there was nothing but Chara and Frisk's breathing and the usual directionless wind to fill the void.

"Chara? What are you doing here?" Frisk asked. If this were any other case, that question would sound redundant, but this time, Frisk really wasn't sure what Chara was doing.

"What are _you_ doing here, Frisk?" Chara asked bitterly. "Shouldn't you be, I don't know, reveling in your sweet victory? Sure, leave 'ol Chara behind, they won't mind."

Frisk sighed and scooted up beside Chara. "Chara...I'm not just going to forget everything you've done. I don't understand why you're all of a sudden acting this way. Heck, I don't know why you've ever acted the way you have, and it's not because I haven't made an effort to, or I haven't experienced the same things you have. I don't know, I'm just wired differently."

"I'm not expecting you to be nice to me. And I'm not going to act sorry for my actions, simply because you don't understand them. You want me to apologize for being a monster, but no one ever apologized for turning me into one." Chara said.

"Chara-"

"I don't understand...we both had the same beginning, I know we have." Chara rolled up their sleeves and reached over to roll up Frisk's. "See? We match." They gestured to the scars on their wrists and up their arms. "But why did we have different endings? Why did fate choose for you to be happy, and meanwhile I'm here, in the void, dead, forever."

"Well, you did-" Frisk tried to speak but Chara interrupted.

"I know I did some bad things in the past, but...I always thought this was the punishment everyone promised me just for being me. I walked through most of my life, both underground and on the surface, with people telling me I deserved to die and go to hell...and then I did. I always knew I was meant to be...just created as one, big, super wrong, screw up-" Chara explained, their voice becoming more and more broken as they spoke.

"Chara, I-"

"But then I met you and everything got moved around. You're one, big, super wrong, screw up too, and yet you got to be happy. Maybe half of the stuff I did was just me projecting my anger a little bit, my jealousy, and my hatred for the world, humanity, and fate itself. Desperate, traumatized, I've never felt whole, and I just don't know how to cope with that. Sorry, I'm rambling...you can talk now if you want."

"No, no, I get it. I can think of a lot of people like that, actually. Although most of them haven't _killed_ people, and I can't really let that slide just yet, I've given all of them a chance. Even someone who doesn't have a soul and can't understand how much my friendship means. Sometimes the first step to getting better is just someone pushing you along." Frisk smiled.

"Oh boy, I get your sappy talk now-" Chara scoffed.

"I want to be that someone, Chara. You don't want me to leave, so I'll stay. You said you don't feel whole, so I'll make you a part of me. All you have to do is stop doing this, stop playing this game. Then, we can be happy together." Frisk wrapped their hand in Chara's and looked into their red eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I've done nothing to deserve this, and I mean literally nothing. Don't you want to sleep peacefully without me around?" Chara looked away from Frisk's kind face. They couldn't look at them, not now.

"I'd rather spend every night helping a friend, than living a nightmare, or just a boring black void. Quit making excuses, Chara. Don't you want to be happy?" Frisk said, turning Chara's face back towards them with a gentle hand. A scintillating rainbow button appeared in front of them.

 _*SAVE_

"Frisk, why are you doing this? Really? Do you just have to save everyone to be satisfied? No one can be this saintly. I've spent years trying to prove that you can be as disgusting as me, but you just can't, can you?" Chara asked.

"I'm doing this, because I see myself in you, just like you see yourself in me." Frisk put their hand on the glowing button. "It's you or me, Chara. Let's be happy again, for good."

Chara closed their eyes, feelings of uncertainty swirling in their brain, more than usual at least. They slowly lifted their hand and placed it on the button. "Happy, now?" Chara asked, trying to hide their mixed emotions of excitement, gratitude, and nervousness.

"Yes, and I think you'll be too." Frisk smiled before for the first time in years, the black void faded to white.

* * *

 _ **"Let's just live! Day by day and not be conquered by our sorrows. The past can't hold us down, we must break free! Inside we're torn apart, but time will mend our hearts, move onward, not there yet so let's just live!"**_

 _ **-Let's Just Live; Jeff and Casey Williams**_

 **A lot of Undertale, to me, is about forgiveness and mercy and moving forward. In the end, I knew that Chara wouldn't have been able to keep fighting. I feel like I know them too well, and it just doesn't seem like them, you know? I've grown to move past certain hurts inflicted on me by other people because of the simple fact that a lot of time (not always, but a lot of the time) people hurt others just because they don't feel whole, and don't know how to cope with that. That sometimes, the only way to cry for help is to make others understand your pain through passing it on. Frisk knows this philosophy all too well and is ready to guide Chara towards happiness. Frisk and Chara are really meant for each other in that sense. Chara will be a voice in the back of Frisk's head, and Frisk is the only person who can meet Chara's needs since they want a lot of the same things. I had this last scene in the deep depths of my files for a long time, written during an emotional moment and stored away for later. I could tell the state I was in at the moment I first composed this scene, since I used a line I say a lot "Sorry I'm rambling, you can talk now." in Chara's dialogue.**

 **Things will be a bit slow as everyone recovers, and it would be dishonest for me to say that everything will go back to "normal" for these guys. Iris will have to get used to only having one eye and forgiving Flora and Chara (She'll be joining Yang and Dr. House in the depressed cripple club for a bit). Quinn will start opening up and living life to the fullest. Things are just kind of tense, hehe.**

 **I never know what to say in these anymore, heh. I'll just leave this to your own conclusions. Let me know what you think of all this in the comments! REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED!**


	21. Thinking Too Much

Iris made her way to her locker, minding a grumpy Froggit who had the locker under her, and grabbed her notebook and textbook for her next class, Earth Science. She glanced in the mirror on her locker door. Her face was in the foreground of its frame, with the masses of other students shuffling in the background. She recognized the face staring back at her well. It was young and bright and happy, as of then. She could see the little horns lining her hairline, since her curly red hair was back in a ponytail. She flashed a fang-filled smile at the mirror confidently, her eyes radiant. Iris clutched her books tightly and began to close her locker door. _I wonder what we're doing in science today…_

SLAM! Iris jumped at the sound of metal on something. What that something was, Iris wasn't sure. From her mirror she could see that someone, a burly human boy, had pinned another, smaller human, against the lockers on the other side of the hallway, only a few yards away from her. The other students didn't seem to care about what was happening, after all, things like that were common in schools all across the Surface. Iris couldn't help but close her locker and move closer to the source of the disturbance. She found a bench against the wall, separating the locker clusters. It was a few feet from the two clashing humans. Only, they weren't clashing. The boy held the other one against the wall, one pale-skinned paw clenching the victim's head as the boy growled and shouted at his prey. Iris set her books on the bench and crept closer to the humans. She hid behind the first locker in the cluster and tried to listen and get a better look.

"Sorry, didn't see you there." The boy said mockingly. His voice was rough and guttural. The other human didn't reply. They actually appeared quite calm for the situation. "You're the principal's daughter, aren't you?" No response from the other human, besides maybe a furrowed brow. "Ah yes, the perfect, wonderful savior of _monsters_. You think you're so great, don't you? You think you're being high and mighty by not talking back to me, don't you? Think again! You're not so great, helping those soul-sucking creatures back into our world. Of course, you would help them, you have nowhere else to belong, do you, _hermaphrodite_?"

Iris had no idea what that last word meant, but she figured it had to mean something. She watched the other human for a response. They simply closed their eyes in submission. They had accepted it! They didn't care about any of it! Iris had heard of the savior of monsters, that they went to her school, but she had never met them. Their attacker was a husky boy, around 6'2, tall and muscular. Iris assumed he was a football player or a wrestler or something. The other human, the savior of monsters, was tiny, around 5'3, with skin that Iris speculated was a deep beige-she couldn't tell with the shadows. They had short, dark brown hair, and was wearing a pink and blue striped sweater and jeans. The boy let go of the human for a second, then left-hooked them, their head hitting the locker hard. The boy seemed amused by this.

Iris gritted her teeth and darted out of hiding. In three strides, Iris ran past the boy and with the force behind her fist from running, Iris punched the boy away with her left hand and stopped. She held her fist tightly clenched and her arm extended through the punch. The boy staggered away from the hard hit, and in the confusion, Iris stood in front of the savior of monsters, her fists up and ready to defend. The boy regained his bearings, his nose and mouth leaking small streams of blood. He sniffled and wiped his face gruffly. "Who're you?" He asked, slurring his words. Even wounded he was snarky.

"Your worst nightmare, if you don't leave them alone," Iris growled.

"Oh ho, tough stuff, are you?" The boy mocked.

"Yeah. You sayin' different?" Iris asked. There was a feeling of impending action in her voice.

"Yeah." The boy sniffled again. "What're you gonna do? Steal my soul? Wouldn't be surprised."

"That's it!" Iris shouted as she dove in for a right-hook. The boy met her with a block with his arm, then a kick to the stomach. Iris stumbled back, almost falling on top of the human, who was still pinned to the locker, but not from physical force. Iris assumed the human was petrified in intimidation. Iris upper-cut the boy, her knuckles making contact with the boy's jaw. The boy grunted in pain and further winced, holding his jaw. Iris kicked him down and held him there with her foot. She grinned at her victory and noticed that a small crowd had closed in around her, the boy, and the other human.

"IRIS!" Iris' shoulders tensed at the voice of Toriel Dreemurr, the school principal. Toriel was a cordial woman, but scary if crossed. The spectating kids fled the area quickly, leaving only the three performers, frozen in their places. Iris turned her head toward Toriel, who stood tall, her arms crossed and her expression less than amused. "Come to me with my office, would you please?"

Iris stepped off of the boy and sullenly followed Toriel into her office. She knew she was in trouble. It was as clear as the pain in her hand and in her stomach, but she didn't seem to care too much when she gave one last look to the human, the savior of monsters, who in quiet, awed movements, wiped the blood from their cheek, looked at their bloody hand, then looked back up at Iris, and smiled in gratitude.

* * *

Iris woke to a powerful wind gust that shook the hospital building. She felt safe in the facility. It felt more like a prison, a fortress, than a place of healing and peace, after all. It was sterile and pristine but filthy with the musk of fear. Iris' hospital room was dark besides the small television in front of her bed. Whatever Iris had been watching when she dozed had turned into static. The winter storm outside must've disturbed the connection. Iris' vision was blurry and watery from exhaustion, having been woken from such a deep slumber. Iris reached for the remote on her nightstand groggily. Pain shot up her arm with even the slightest of movements. She fought through the pain and lifted the remote to turn off the television.

"Psst." A voice whispered to grab Iris' attention, just as she was about to press the 'off' button on the remote. Iris turned her head towards the door to her room, where her mother, Undyne, was peeking her head in. She was dressed in fleece, royal blue pajamas with orange fish designs on them. Her hair was down and wet like she had just taken a shower. "Can we talk?" She asked, still whispering.

"Mom, what time is it?" Iris moaned.

"I don't know. I don't care." Undyne replied. "I really need to talk to you."

Iris stared at her hands, which rested on her lap, doing her best not to look directly at Undyne. One half of her view was black, blocked, absent. She couldn't see the right side of her, the side with the window, anymore; it was strange. There were moments where she was used to it, and there were moments where she wasn't. She figured that was what Undyne wanted to talk about. She reluctantly mumbled, "Okay.", still not looking at Undyne.

Undyne entered the room and sat on the bed, her shadow amplified by the light from the television. Undyne's eye stared straight into hers. She couldn't quite describe how eye contact felt with just one eye. She found it more intense now, the connection felt deeper. It didn't feel like something was missing, either, since Undyne didn't have her right eye either. Every part of Undyne and Iris' faces aligned and matched.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Iris asked awkwardly.

"How are you feeling?" Undyne answered with a question.

Iris paused, caught off guard. "Um…fine, I guess. It still hurts…I can't really move or do anything without having pain. I'm kind of bored in here, too. There's nothing to watch on TV."

Undyne chuckled quietly. "I can bring you some things to do tomorrow morning, but how are you feeling…inside?"

"Uh…not that great, I guess. I feel kind of numb, but I've been thinking too much. It's like I'm thinking too much but also not at all. I can't stop thinking about what happened." Iris avoided Undyne's eye again.

"What happened, exactly?" Undyne asked. Her voice pushed deep into Iris.

"It was just a fight. I took some hard hits. I'm just being soft, that's all. I just need to get out of here and get back into the swing of things." Iris said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

"You took more than some hard hits. Who did you fight?"

"I don't know their name. I don't know them at all. They wanted to hurt Willow, and Frisk, and Quinn, though. They had a knife-"

"And you fought them anyway?"

"I had a weapon!"

"That doesn't matter! Sometimes it doesn't matter how much you arm yourself."

"You've got that right."

"They caught you off-guard, didn't they?" Undyne's voice grew tender and wistful.

Iris couldn't help but be taken back to that moment when she watched her best friend leave her in the True Lab. She was glad she left. If it meant she was safe, then no risk felt frightening to her, but then there was Chara. Before she could even prepare, they slashed her eye and cut her more and more and left her there for dead. "Surprise!" They cackled as they did it. They were happy to see her in agony. Iris' eye watered, and tears fell on the sheets.

"I'll take that as a yes," Undyne said.

"They were gonna hurt Willow. I told her to leave, to run away and live. I knew she didn't want to but I told her to anyway. I watched her go. I felt safe in knowing she was safe. But I turned back and they were there. They smiled and cackled and cut me in my eye, and then everywhere else. I felt nothing but pain. Horrible, aching, burning, searing pain like nothing I had known before." Iris explained, her voice breaking.

"What's the last thing you saw?" Undyne asked.

"Them."

"What did they look like?"

"Red hair, redder eyes…they were deathly pale and but still had rosy, colored cheeks. They were skeletal in form and wore all black." Iris said.

"Were they a monster?"

"They were human, but I could coin the term 'monster' to describe them," Iris muttered.

"Mm," Undyne grunted in reply.

"Aren't you gonna lecture me on how reckless I am? That's what you did when you found out about the Amalgamate…"

"You know what you should've done when this person, whoever they are, threatened the safety of yourself and your friends."

"Run away?"

"What do you think? Are you satisfied with what you did?" Undyne asked.

"I don't know…I mean, I lost a part of myself. A part of me is gone, and I can't get it back, but…I saved my friends. I won the fight. I did the right thing, but, why doesn't it feel right to me, right now? Why don't I want to see the people I protected? I love them, but I'm not acting like it." Iris said. "I let my emotions get the best of me and I was almost killed as a result! How could I be so stupid and reckless to burn myself out like that?"

"Hey, you don't always have to act like it. That's the thing about it, people read between the lines on these sort of things." Undyne cocked a smile.

"Heh, yeah, I guess." Iris felt a smile tug her lips.

"You know, I could always see myself in you. I would look at you and get a blast from my past. I guess we look more alike than ever." Undyne tapped her eye patch with her finger. "I recommend taking your patch off before you sleep."

"Oh, um…thanks. Will do." Iris nodded.

"One more thing," Undyne said. Iris gave her mother her full attention. "Your emotions can grant you strength, but they can't grant you control, and you can't let them control you. You're like Alphys in the way that you feel everything. You're just one of those people who feels things in great, overpowering waves. Heck, I'm like that too. That makes this even scarier since I don't have the advice I should have on this. The way you feel can be your greatest trait, but…just don't let it be your Achilles heel, alright?"

"I don't want to lose any more than I've lost," Iris said with solemn finality.

"Sometimes, you can't help it," Undyne replied with the same solemnity. Iris realized then that maybe, Undyne had lost her eye in the same way she had, that she had just buried it underneath her armor and tough exterior. "But hey, the doctors said you'll be out of here in a matter of days. You'll be back to school and with your friends, and you'll feel better, I know it." Undyne grinned.

"Yeah." Iris said quietly. Undyne stood up off of the bed. She looked back at Iris. "Goodnight." She turned all the way around and kissed her on the forehead.

"Mom?" Iris asked.

"Yeah?"

"I love you," Iris whispered. She reached down for the remote and set it on her lap.

"I love you too," Undyne replied, then disappeared into the hallway. Iris looked down at the remote, then up at the static-y television. The scrambling pixels mesmerized Iris and the noise of the static drowned out all thought for a few seconds. She blinked and came back to reality and turned off the television. She took off her eye patch and set it on the nightstand with the remote. _It's funny,_ Iris thought, _that it takes losing an eye to see things this clearly._

* * *

"You're leaving? But what about high school? What about our plan?" Iris asked, tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"My father is having an international tour! I can't miss this opportunity to spend time with him, to learn how to excel in this business! This may be the best thing to ever happen to me!" Narcissus argued. Iris and Narcissus were only eighth graders, then, and yet they were faced with dividing, future deciding choices so soon. "I don't understand why you're so upset."

"What about your friends? And Papyrus, and Sans? Don't you want to stay here at all? Do you even care about how much we'll miss you?" Iris asked.

"No," Narcissus replied blankly. "Not really." She shrugged.

"What?" Iris' enraged shouts toned down to a hurt whisper.

"I don't. Don't you understand I'm being put with the people I _deserve_ to be with? The position I _deserve_ to have? I'm finally being recognized for how great I am!" Narcissus explained, oblivious that her words acted as daggers in Iris' chest.

"Everyone already knows you're great! You don't need to leave to prove that!" Iris said.

"Of course!"

"Then why are you going?"

"To be with my father. To show myself to the world. Did you ever think that you were worthy to be with me?" Narcissus chuckled.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" Iris asked, in more disbelief than she was in the beginning.

"I mean, Quinn is a weirdo who tried to kill himself, Frisk is too quiet to matter much, Willow is a fat, poor, dyke, and you…well, you're you. You're clumsy, and blow things up and punch people for no reason. You're violent. I'm finally being placed with people who understand, who are worth spending time with." Narcissus explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Get out," Iris whispered through gritted teeth.

"What?"

"I said, get out!" Iris pointed sharply towards her front door. "I don't care how you get home, just go! Go on your stupid tour, and don't come back!" Iris wanted to punch Narcissus, to break every bone that floated in her ghostly form, but she knew that she would phase right through. It seemed everything truly solid and stable and real…just phased through her.

"You're kicking me out?" Narcissus asked. It was her turn to be in disbelief.

"Hell yeah, I am!" Iris shouted.

Narcissus scoffed. "Why?"

"You know why! Go! I don't wanna see you anymore."

"You're making a mistake," Narcissus said, beginning to float towards the door.

"I did that when I met you." Iris growled. In that moment, Iris didn't know how she could let her in, to let her get so deep under her skin. She remembered meeting her and every up to that moment when she left. Iris recalled how every conversation with her turned into a monologue on her part, how all that mattered was how _she_ felt. But Iris loved her anyway. She stuck with her because something about her meant something. There she was, and she didn't feel anything. Iris knew she was being selfish by asking Narcissus to stay in the beginning, but she had revealed the true colors of her friend with her actions. The worse part was, she knew she was right. Iris was clumsy and violent. Maybe she truly wasn't worthy to be Narcissus' friend in the first place. Her heart sunk with every thought, as each word and memory burst through unannounced. Iris was only in eighth grade, yet she already knew the pain, the pressure in her chest that could only be caused by a broken heart.

* * *

"RRAH!" Iris roared as she picked up the Amalgamate by the tail and threw it across the room. The creature landed on the dark laboratory floor with a thud. If Iris had thrown any harder, she might've damaged the tiles. The creature spat saliva, blood, and a grey, soapy substance spitefully on the floor. It snarled at Iris, who roared even louder back. Iris clenched her fists until her knuckles were white and her claw-like fingernails dug into her palms. She gnashed her teeth like an animal, every part of her seething and shaking, aching to spill more of that soapy, bloody solution. Iris raced toward the Amalgamate, who charged her as a rejoinder. They met each other in a fierce collision. The Amalgamate wrapped its paws tight around Iris' shoulders and squeezed, talons drilling deeper into Iris back. Iris howled in pain and kicked the Amalgamate and managed to summon a spear that jabbed it in the stomach. The Amalgamate moved its grip to Iris' wrists. It pulled Iris' arms until Iris felt as though the Amalgamate was ripping them from her body.

Iris screamed louder and thrashed and kicked, trying to escape, but to no avail. Tears of anger and fear escaped her eyes. She bared her teeth and summoned three spears behind the Amalgamate. All three ran through the creature. More blood and grey matter sprayed on Iris and the Amalgamate let her go. Iris smiled in triumph, but it didn't last long. The Amalgamate pulled each spear out and dropped it on the floor. They disintegrated with contact. The Amalgamate grinned with its horrible fangs, grey matter dripping from its gums. "Idiot child…Why do you hurt me so? What would your mother say if she found you fighting me in the dead of night?" The Amalgamate spoke. Its voice was smooth like honey but also thundering. It sounded like a choir of dissonant voices all talking at once.

 _She called me clumsy…she called Willow a_ dyke… _she said I wasn't worthy to be with her…all this time, I've been kidding myself…_ Iris shook her head, trying to shake her feelings away like it was water down her back. "I hate her! I hate you!" It seemed Iris didn't even listen to the Amalgamate's words.

"She called you violent, too. I can see why." The Amalgamate said.

"SHUT UP!" Iris shouted. She dove in for a barrage of punches. She scratched the Amalgamate with her nails and rained 10 spears on its back. The Amalgamate kept regenerating, laughing all the way.

"When are you gonna give up, you stupid girl?" The Amalgamate cackled.

"Never!" Iris punched the Amalgamate in the jaw so hard it unhinged. More blood and grey matter dripped on her face. She felt it run down her neck and she liked it. The Amalgamate's jaw, like magic, shifted back into place with three loud cracking noises that sent shivers down Iris' spine.

The Amalgamate's lifeless eyes burned into hers. Iris felt its cold breath puff deeply and quickly out of its nostrils. "You will."

* * *

 _ **Broken bones may finally heal but you don't know if you will feel again..."**_

 **-** ** _Counting Limbs, Three_** **\- Brendan Horn**

 **Oy, this is a mess.**

 **Hopefully it's a good mess.**

 **I've been building up Iris' arc for quite some time but I haven't truly been able to explore why she is the way she is. Iris is really a 'beserker' type character. I rarely say that people lack self-control, but Iris lacks self-control when she gets fired up. Iris has always been feisty and appears confident, when truth is, she harbors a lot of insecurity and feels unstable about herself and questions the stability of her relationships. Throughout much of her life, Iris has turned to rituals of violence and self-mutilation to express her emotions, which isn't exactly healthy. Both Alphys and Undyne are very emotionally driven people. They feel things in great waves and act almost without thinking. Iris is a combination of Undyne's sometimes violent and fiery nature and Alphys' "all or nothing", suicidal mindset. Iris naturally has a very impulsive, utilitarian personality. The flashbacks in the beginning and the end of this chapter highlight this part of Iris' character, whereas the scene in the middle, which takes place in the present, shows her taking the first step to learning how to control her emotions and express them in a healthy way thanks to Undyne. Narcissus, Frisk, and Alphys have been trying to help her with this since her last battle with the Amalgamate, but it wasn't until Iris faced real, life-changing consequences that she realized there might be something wrong.**

 **The first flashback that opens the chapter takes place in middle school (6th-7th grade), where Iris and Frisk first cross paths. Frisk had always known about Iris, and Iris had always known about Frisk, but they don't become big parts of each other's lives until later. Frisk is in 8th grade at this time. If you don't think Frisk receives a lot of hate because of their gender, race, and accomplishments as the savior of monsters, you're very wrong. They used to get picked on a lot for various reasons, but ever since Iris came into their life, the attacks have mysteriously stopped...**

 **The last two scenes, the one with Narcissus and the one with the Amalgamate happen in the same day consecutively. Iris and Narcissus had a pretty big falling out before Narcissus left for her father's tour, which is why Iris was particularly cold towards her when she returned. Iris had become very good friends with Narcissus, and little fun fact, Narcissus was actually Iris' first crush. However, Narcissus crushed Iris without even realizing. It's textbook for people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder to feel entitled and have delusions and obsessions of grandeur without achievements to back them up. Narcissus does believe that she is above the people of Mt. Ebott and is above friendship with them in general. However, she is a lot more discreet about it now than she was before. Narcissus sort of acts nice out of pity. Iris questions her present relationship with Narcissus and fears that she won't ever find a happy relationship due to how she is.**

 **Hey, summer is coming! That means...more chapters!**

 **REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED!**


	22. Safe Return

Flora closed the door behind Frisk, Quinn, and herself, turning away from the warm, quaint Dreemurr house for the first time since her experiences with Chara. The snowstorm from the night before had completely blanketed Mt. Ebott in snow. The air burned Flora's throat when she inhaled it, and it dried out her lips with each breath. She wrapped her arms tight around herself and buried her face in her scarf, newly knitted by Toriel to take the place of her hair when warming her neck. Small, wet snowflakes continued to dance, almost suspended in the winter air. All remnants of the autumn that seemed like yesterday were buried and gone. Flora glanced over to Quinn, who was taking a deep breath that was released in a sigh. The snowflakes on their fur made it sparkle. Frisk was bundled up in a puffy, brown winter coat and Ugg boots. Their face was almost completely covered by a large knit scarf and a matching hat, both dark red. The driveway ahead was pure, undisturbed white, not yet plowed. The trees surrounding it leaned in, weary from carrying snow. Their branches drooped and icicles hung from some. They sparkled in the rising sunlight as well.

"You're driving," Frisk said to Quinn, ruining the moment.

"Oh come on!" Quinn groaned, throwing their arms in the air in mock anger.

Frisk gave a cheeky grin. "Get dunked on."

"Quiet, you." Quinn scoffed. "Let's go. They probably haven't even plowed the roads yet..." Quinn began trudging through the snow that reached up to the middle of their calves. Frisk followed, the snow reaching higher, and then Flora, who was only a few inches shorter than Quinn. They reached the snow-laden mini-van with their boots, socks, and jeans completely soaked. Quinn wiped the snow off the sides and roof of the vehicle with their paw, then struggled to open the driver's side door, which was frozen shut. "Oh, I just love winter, don't you?" They said sarcastically.

Frisk snickered and ambled around the car to the passenger side. Flora yanked the driver's side back door open and slid inside, stomping the snow off her shoes before closing the door.

"Turn the heat up! Turn the heat up!" Flora shouted, rubbing her hands together despite wearing mittens.

"Okay, okay, I'm getting to it," Quinn muttered. They started the car and turned the heat up. With that, they were off to school.

"How'd you sleep last night, Frisk?" Quinn asked casually.

Frisk appeared caught off-guard. "Um, good! Good! Very good." They stuttered as they spoke.

"Okay...?" Quinn said, weirded out. They returned to driving. Frisk stared at their lap, at their hands. They seemed rapt in this. Flora decided to think nothing of it. She just hoped she didn't miss too much school because of her magical adventure. If she had known what toll her strange friends would've taken on her studies, Flora would've avoided them at all costs. The car rolled up in front of the school slowly and stopped with a crunch as it rolled across the deep snow. "I'll park it, you two go ahead," Quinn said just as Frisk and Flora got out of the car. The two watched Quinn drive away towards the student parking lot before making their way towards the door.

"It's nice to be back. I'm all adventured out." Flora said to start conversation. She found Frisk's silence awkward sometimes.

"Heh, me too. I know that's not the last of it, though." Frisk chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. But I'm probably behind in all my classes." Flora said. "I can't handle any adventuring."

"Mm."

"It'll be weird without Iris."

"Yeah."

"I swear that's like...half the reason anyone talks to me," Flora said. "They're all friends with her."

"Mm. They're your friends too, you know." Frisk shrugged.

"Yeah. Hey, I wonder what happened to Narcissus with her dad? Do you have any idea how that went?" Flora asked.

"No. I haven't heard from her since the other day, in the hospital."

"She seems normal. If what she did the other day counts as normal..."

"That's normal. Shall we?" Frisk gestured to the door into the school.

"One more thing," Flora said. Frisk appeared to give her their full attention. "I talked to Quinn the other day, the day after Chara escaped. I was kind of harsh with them. If they act weird...or, weirder than usual, just know that might be why. Better you hear it from me, than them."

"Quinn is a resilient person, Flora. Whatever you said to them, they will either forget or just not listen. Was it about the timelines?"

"Something like that."

"Yeah, they'll definitely forget about it by this time tomorrow. Believe me, I know." Frisk's eyes narrowed.

"Alrighty then. I won't worry about it too much, then. See ya later, Frisk." Flora smiled lightly and waved to Frisk before walking in, Frisk following a few feet behind.

* * *

Frisk wandered into the Civics classroom, only to be beckoned to a row of desks in the back of the room, with Tiger at the end. It was a large classroom. Enrollment levels at the school were rising every day, and Toriel had to accommodate for this. Tiger appeared normal until Frisk got up close. She was wearing black leggings, fuzzy boots, and a baggy, navy blue sweatshirt. Her hair was messy, thrown together. She had attempted to cover up bruises on her face and neck with concealer, but Frisk could still see them. Tiger also sported a black eye, along with a swollen lip. There were empty holes where her lip, nose, and ear piercings should've been.

"What happened to you?" Frisk asked, setting their stuff down and taking a seat next to Tiger.

"You didn't hear?" Tiger asked.

"No. I've been busy this week. Haven't been keeping up, sorry." Frisk shrugged.

"There was a huge protest down in the center of Mt. Ebott City. I was there. It got a little violent. The police didn't exactly...like us there." Tiger rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

"What was it for?" Frisk asked.

"Mostly monster civil rights. Other things too. I was there for all of it. All of it matters to me." Tiger replied.

"Wow. That's pretty cool." Frisk said in awe. "You're a visionary."

Tiger blushed and glanced away from Frisk. "Thanks. But I think I'm gonna take a break from the revolution for a bit."

"The revolution?"

"The revolution!" Tiger pumped her fist triumphantly.

"You seem really passionate about it. Why take a break?" Frisk asked.

"I'm going off to college soon. I'm going to the place of my dreams-NYU- but I don't really know...what I'm doing with my life yet." Tiger said. "I mean, I have only truly been myself for a few years...I don't know _all_ of it, though. I don't know all of who I am and what I want. How can I make a decision that determines the rest of my life if I don't even know who 'I' is?"

"I feel you."

"Do you? Don't you have it all figured out?"

"Not entirely. I want to be an ambassador. Helping monsters is what I'm passionate about, but I want to do some other things too. At least, that's what I think I want. You have to realize that I've only been myself for a few years too."

"Oh, right. Sorry. I've just always known you as...you. Like, you're just Frisk. Sometimes I forget that you were something before." Tiger chuckled nervously.

"Same."

"What do you mean?" Tiger asked. Frisk gave her a quizzical look. "Do you forget about who you were before? Or do you forget who I was before?"

"Sometimes, both." Frisk shrugged.

"Same," Tiger said with finality, nodding slowly. Quinn approached the row of desks groggily, setting their things on the desk next to Frisk and plopping down on the metal seat. "Hey, Quinn." Tiger smiled and waved at the sleepy goat monster.

"Hey, Tiger. What the heck happened to you? You look...not as fabulous as usual." Quinn studied Tiger from shoes to hair.

"Revolution." Tiger shrugged.

"Oh yeah. I would go to that, but I'm kind of the adopted son of the King of Monsters and can't show my face anywhere." Quinn said blankly. "Glad you had a good time though."

"Does it look like she had a good time?" Frisk asked.

"No, it's cool, guys. I fought back." Tiger rolled up her sleeves to reveal bruised knuckles, with the skin cracked in some areas. She had been hiding her hands inside her sweatshirt sleeves all morning. "If I didn't, I might not have made it out like this."

"Tough break, man," Quinn said.

"Eh, it's worth it," Tiger replied.

Meanwhile, Flora was in the classroom three doors down, the algebra classroom. An equally large classroom filled with juniors and high placing sophomores alike. Flora gazed out the window next to her seat absentmindedly. She sat alone, her chin resting on her hand, her elbow resting on her desk next to her textbook and notebook. Her homework was on top of this pyramid, left for the teacher to examine. Flora watched the snowflakes drift gently down, some hitting the window. Occasionally, other students would compliment her haircut. The familiar clacking of Narcissus' heels didn't snap her out of her dissociation. Narcissus took a seat next to Flora.

"Hey," Narcissus said awkwardly. She was sporting Hatsune Miku pigtails, the same as the other day.

"Good morning, Pap," Flora replied groggily.

Narcissus' eyes narrowed at the use of her true name. "You seem cheery today."

"Eh, just tired. Had a long weekend."

"So I've heard. Now, what was so important that you had to leave my show halfway through and not come back for a week after?" Narcissus asked sharply.

"I really can't say, Narcissus." Flora's eyes drifted to the desk and away from Narcissus.

"Sure you can! I want to know why you left me there!" Narcissus raised her voice. "Does it have something to do with that fight that almost cost Iris her life?"

"It's complicated, Pap."

"Is it really? What, have you gone insane just like your mother? Is that why you're so aloof? Why you won't tell me why you had to storm out when I needed you-"

"No, it's not that! I just got nervous, and I needed a break, that's all." Flora whispered.

"There. Was that so hard?"

"No," Flora said curtly. There was a moment of silence. "You're the one who's insane." She mumbled.

"I'll have you know I am perfectly normal."

"Yeah, right," Flora muttered. "Keep telling yourself that." Narcissus clenched her fists tightly, only to release them, rest her head on her desk and sigh. Willow entered the classroom shortly thereafter. She was wearing a teal wool sweater, jeans, and worn, brown snow boots with a rip in the toe where Willow's big toe, in a neon pink sock, poked out. She had a cut on her cheek and a bruise on her neck. "What happened to you?" Flora asked.

"Did you lose your memory or something? How can you have already forgotten what happened like two nights ago?" Willow asked, taking a seat next to Narcissus.

"No, I remember, but I don't remember them cutting your face or your neck..." Flora said.

"Maybe you don't. Maybe you missed some things, is all I can figure." Willow shrugged. Another moment of silence followed.

Narcissus leaned to whisper into Flora's ear. "She's lying."

"I can hear you." Willow's face sunk into a glare before the teacher appeared in the classroom and called the students to attention. The three didn't talk much that hour, all with the future, and Iris, burdening their minds.

* * *

 _ **Stuck on this dead end street,**_

 _ **Where all the new kids come to play,**_

 _ **Stuck where past and future meet,**_

 _ **Watching all our autumns drift away...**_

 _ **-Die Anywhere Else, Night in the Woods**_

 **Ah, this chapter was slow. Mostly dialogue as everyone gets back on their feet. I'll be exploring some backstory and building the resolution to this story, seeing as this story is going to be winding down to a closing. It's a very messy slice of life. Am I proud of how it turned out? Eeeeeeh. I hope you'll join me as I reveal and attempt to resolve smaller bits of these characters that need to be addressed. From Willow's abusive household and Willow and Iris' relationship, to Quinn's backstory in the Underground and Frisk's first experiences on the Surface, to Frisk and Chara living together in harmony.**

 **In case you didn't know, Frisk, Quinn, and Tiger are seniors, and Flora, Iris, Willow, and Narcissus are juniors. Frisk and Tiger go way back. Tiger was friends with Frisk long before the others, and Frisk helped Tiger get to where she is today as a person. I'll go deeper into that in a bit.**

 **Sorry if this chapter was kind of short. I hope you enjoyed it though. I appreciate any review, even if it's just "yelling". ?** **ￂﾠ**

 **REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED!**


	23. Pride and Shame II

Frisk sat on their bed, swinging their legs back and forth mindlessly, staring at their hands. Their palms and the undersides of their fingers were lighter than the rest of Frisk's hand. Frisk rolled up the sleeves of their sweater slowly and felt along the skin of their wrists. They could see the faint, discolored lines that covered them. They couldn't be made randomly. There was too much order in them. They went horizontally across, originally a few centimeters apart with smaller lines made in between the first as an afterthought. Vertical and diagonal lines occasionally crossed through the horizontal ones. Frisk couldn't remember the days, what they were wearing, what had happened. It all blurred together in the same images, the same sensations. The pulsing pain that shot up their arms, their sweaty grip on the same pink razor, the wet tears that blurred their eyes and dried on their face. There was the occasional scar that was unlike the others-deeper and larger and without form or order. They weren't responsible for these. They were the result of futile attempts to stop something they couldn't, they were the moments where their arms were known as their only shield.

They saw the bodies of their human peers. Their skin was clear and smooth and colorful. Frisk's was exactly what it was; beaten and worn, without color. They couldn't imagine themselves in the future when they made those scars. They never saw themselves actually making it to a high school dance. They couldn't let Toriel see them this way. What would she ask? What could they even say in reply? Frisk pulled their sweater back over their arms and got to digging under their bed, only to find a brand-new stick of Covergirl concealer, the only thing of makeup they owned. They got up and sat back on the bed, rolled up their sleeves, uncapped the concealer, and began to rub the stick on their arms furiously. They no longer reminisced of what those ugly marks meant on their skin. They saw it as a duty, a task as tedious as brushing their hair or gargling mouthwash. It was a part of "getting dressed up".

Toriel's perky knocks rang through the empty bedroom. "Frisk, my child? I have your outfit ready. Are you clothed?"

"Yeah, mom." Frisk smiled at Toriel's voice. They quickly pulled their sleeves up, capped the concealer, and shoved it in their jean pocket.

Toriel opened the door and stepped in, holding a mauve dress on a hanger and smiling. "I made it myself. It's been with my things for years, and there were no humans living permanently in the Underground after…" She paused. "It's never been worn, but the color goes wonderfully with your skin tone. I just knew you had to wear it." The dress was long and had multiple layers in the skirt, making it full and poofy compared to the stick-thin bodice with a rosemaled design that was a flowery version of the Delta Rune, embroidered in silver. The skirt had roses of dark purple chiffon sewn in clusters along the bottom. The dress had a bateau neck, meaning that it revealed most of the neck and shoulders, with long sleeves that started mid shoulder, much to Frisk's relief. Toriel looked expectantly and excitedly at Frisk. "Do you like it?"

Frisk stared blankly at the garment being held before them. They recalled years of being shoved unwillingly into them by doting parents and relatives. They couldn't help but feel a jump in their chest and an overall feeling of repulsion at the idea of wearing one. It felt more like a costume, wearing a mask for almost one's entire life. It was a brutal reminder of the days where they were complimented endlessly by peers, family, and strangers who would despise them if they knew what laid underneath. However, it was not an ugly dress. Frisk found it quite beautiful, and they loved Toriel. They smiled. "Yeah."

Toriel's smile grew wide. She blushed. "Thank you, Frisk! Ah, you're going to look so beautiful in it!" She set the dress on the bed beside Frisk. "I'll leave you to it. Come into the living room when you're ready, so I can take pictures!"

"Okay, mom." Frisk nodded, still smiling. Toriel twirled confidently on her heels and exited, gently shutting the door behind her. _It's just for one night. I can handle one night._ Frisk proceeded to strip and slip the dress on, over the rest of their scarred body. They caught glimpses of more orderly lines and occasional, large, dark blotches on their legs. There weren't as many lines on their stomach and torso as there were discordant blotches. However, all that was covered under the mauve veil of beauty and femininity and perfection that was Toriel's dress. _I do look okay in it._ Frisk thought as they adjusted the dress and looked at themselves in the mirror. _I can handle it for one night. Then again, everyone will see me in it. Then they'll all think-this was my fresh start, I can't blow it already, can I?_

Knock, knock, knock!

"Frisk, my child? Are you alright in there?" Toriel's voice rang clear through the door.

"Yeah, mom," Frisk called back, quickly pulling the bunched-up sleeves down over their wrists and fluffing their short hair. They eyed the scar on their cheek, being especially perfectionistic of their skin. They glanced back at their jeans, contemplating the concealer inside. They shook their heads and closed their eyes to snap themselves back into a saner reality. They took a deep breath and released it. "Phew. Let's go." They gave themselves a reassuring grin and strode out of their bedroom, their bare feet pounding against the hardwood floors.

"Frisk, is that you?" Toriel asked from inside the living room.

"Ooh, is that Frisk?" The excited voice of Quinn also sounded from the living room at the end of the hallway. The hallway was dark, but there was warm orange light radiating from the end. Frisk walked towards the light, occasionally tripping over the long dress. They stepped out into the living room, where Quinn and Toriel were watching TV, waiting for them. Quinn gasped and smiled at Frisk. "You look so beautiful!"

"Thanks," Frisk replied quietly.

Toriel gasped as well and held up a camera she seemingly pulled out of thin air. "Smile for the camera!" Frisk flashed a simple, quick, fading smile as the camera flashed three times. They didn't pose, just held their hands, occasionally twiddling their thumbs. "Well, we should get going, don't want to be late, now do we?"

Frisk nodded and found their way to the pair of heels Toriel had bought for them. They were sandal-like wedges with straps of gold. Frisk strapped them on hastily, and they stumbled out the door behind a giddy Toriel.

* * *

Frisk waved farewell to Toriel as she drove away, leaving them to their own devices. Frisk turned to the cafeteria entrance. They could see the shadows of their dancing classmates among the flashing lights. The thumping bass made the ground and the building itself seem to tremble under Frisk's feet. They gulped nervously and waddled into the cafeteria. They paid for their entrance into the party, barely able to hear the voice of the ticket booth operators over the music. They received a red permanent marker line on their hand, and they left the ticket booth only to freeze.

Frisk could pick out people they knew in the clump of humans and monsters dancing together in the center of the cafeteria. They could see their souls through their silhouettes. It was a rainbow, a kaleidoscope, an amalgam of pulsing, glowing hearts separated by black, with occasional white hearts among them. Frisk looked down at their own soul, that would dim meekly, then slowly brighten again. They could feel their heartbeat no longer match their soul. It was frantic. _How can this make me feel so afraid inside? My limbs are shaking, my heart is pounding, my soul feels weak, my mind is blurred and confused…it's just a bunch of people having fun._ Frisk recalled what seemed like their past life, the life they led before Mt. Ebott that seemed so distant from what was theirs now. They remembered feeling this way everywhere they went, every time they stepped outside their house, and surprisingly, every time they stepped in.

 _But things are different now, right?_

Their breaths grew quicker like each inhale grew thinner, the air they were breathing wasn't enough for their hungry lungs. Frisk took off their heels and left them next to the wall. They speed-walked out of the cafeteria to the regularly lit hallways outside, deeper into the school. The cafeteria funneled out into a large commons area, with the gym entrance on the other end of the area, and stairs leading out to the floors housing the classrooms. At the top of one such staircase, were the bathrooms. Frisk made a beeline there, their feet adjusting to the rough, dirty school floors. Once they reached the top they froze again. They had come to this place a million times before and stopped at the same intersection. The hall of doors for all but themselves. The crossroads with no path they can follow. The signs next to the two doors taunted them with their universal designs. _Men, a stick figure. Women, a stick figure in a skirt._ But there was so much more to that. There was so much more to simply choosing one of the paths. Frisk waited at the spot between the doors, hoping that the wall separating them would fade away, leading to some special place just for them, like the platform nine and three-quarters in the _Harry Potter_ books.

But it was just a wall. A tough, blocking, dividing thing that Frisk couldn't get through no matter how hard they tried. _I'm wearing a dress. I'm a stick figure in a skirt, right? But I'm not. What did everyone call me in school before tonight? I heard both…but I just confirmed it for them, haven't I? But their confirmation is a lie. I lied to them. I lied to Toriel. I'm lying to this bathroom. I'm a…thing, in the Ladies' room, aren't I? And they don't even know. What am I doing here? What am I doing here, in this place, in this dress, still here on this Earth? I can't insert myself into this dance. I can't insert myself into these roles… I wasn't supposed to make it to this moment. I was supposed to be…_

Frisk shook their head and closed their eyes. _No, no, no. Stay determined. Just go in there, and get out._ Frisk took a deep breath and walked into the women's restroom. The floor felt even grimier on Frisk's feet. They made their way into the handicap stall in the back of the bathroom. They leaned against the wall, slid down, and sat on the floor. Frisk closed their eyes and took several deep breaths, focusing on each breath. They used this to try to relax, to try to forget. Frisk thought back to their friends and family, Toriel, Papyrus, Sans, Alphys, Undyne, Asgore. _They would want me to be strong._ Frisk lightly slapped their cheeks. "Get back in there, buddy." They stood up and exited the stall, and the bathroom itself. They couldn't shake the foreign, uncomfortable feeling of the dress, of using the women's restroom, the fakeness of themselves.

They returned to the dark dancefloor, unaware of how much time had passed since they first entered. The cluster of partying students was still there in the center of the floor, blocking the silhouette of the DJ and their setup. There were some students having their own separate conversations along the walls. Frisk eyed each group from the doorway, finally resting on a single boy in a tuxedo, leaning against the wall, away from every other group. He appeared uncomfortable but attempting to look cool. Frisk walked over to him. The boy looked increasingly distressed as Frisk grew closer. They leaned against the wall next to him.

"If you want me to dance with you, I can't." The boy said quietly. He was a short, around the same height as Frisk, scrawny boy with chin length, messy, fine black hair that Frisk could tell he was growing out. Frisk could see the dim glow of his orange soul.

"What? No." Frisk replied awkwardly.

"Then what do you want?" The boy asked.

"Just wanted to strike up some conversation, make it look like I'm doing something." Frisk shrugged.

The boy chuckled. "I can understand that. I'm Tyler."

"Frisk." Frisk smiled.

"You're Frisk Dreemurr? The principal's daughter?" Tyler asked. Frisk's face sunk into a glare disdainfully. Tyler could sense this. "What's with the face? Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry…"

"No, no, it's me." Frisk shook their head, their short hair moving with it.

"Oh, uh, okay," Tyler said. There was a moment of silence. "Not much of a dancer, eh?"

"Not really. I try, but I can't seem to insert myself into…" Frisk pointed at the crowd of students. "that."

"Me neither." Tyler wrung his hands anxiously.

"How old are you, Tyler?" Frisk tried to change the subject. They could sense Tyler's discomfort.

"I'm in your class. I see you every day. You always smile and say hi to everyone in the hallway. Our school's kind of big and I'm kind of a wallflower, so you probably don't see me often." Tyler explained.

Frisk giggled. "I'm really missing out, aren't I? What do you like to do after school?"

"I don't do any sports or anything if that's what you're implying. I do art. I make my own clothes and I draw a lot. I help out my mom with her EMS stuff. It's really cool what she does." Tyler replied.

"I bet. Doctors are awesome. Do you have a specialty? With your clothes?"

"I do a little bit of everything." Tyler shrugged. "Women's fashion."

"Cool." Frisk paused. "Do you have an inspiration?" They knew it was a common question for artists.

"I just make what I would wear-I mean, I take inspiration from other designers and stuff but I've kind of formed my own style," Tyler explained.

"Ah okay. Sounds cool. You should show me sometime." Frisk looked up to the ceiling.

"Yeah, I should. I think you'd like it." Tyler grinned. "Hey, you wanna blow this popsicle stand?"

"Sure."

Frisk and Tyler stepped away from the wall and exited the cafeteria completely, only to find that it had started raining. It was already dark outside, but there were no longer stars or the moon to brighten the night. The shadow of Mt. Ebott loomed in the distance, with the forms of the forest closer by. Street lights lined the streets, creating small pools of light where the falling droplets were illuminated.

"Aw crap, I forgot an umbrella," Tyler said. The two were under the shelter of a roof that jutted outside the cafeteria entrance, nevertheless, the two had to leave the safety of it eventually to face the pouring rain.

Frisk burst into a fit of giggles. "Same."

"You're a nice person to be with, Frisk Dreemurr," Tyler said between light chuckles. Frisk stopped laughing. "We should hang out more."

"Yes, we should," Frisk replied.

"Maybe we could play laser tag next weekend? Are you busy?" Tyler asked.

"I never am." Frisk chuckled.

"Great! And if you want to afterward, you can come see what I'm working on. You can even wear some of it. It'd be an honor to have my work worn by the ambassador of monsters, the daughter of Toriel-"

"Oh, I'm not…"

"Into that stuff? I understand-"

"A girl. I'm not a girl."

"You're a boy?"

"I'm neither, but also…both, and…it's complicated." Frisk explained.

"Ah, I get it. I'm…having issues with that myself. You seem to have a better handle on it than I do." Tyler grew quiet.

Frisk laughed. "You have no idea."

"Maybe you can help me, maybe you can-"

"Let's start with the laser tag." Frisk chortled. "And see where we go."

"Right, of course." Tyler nodded. "It's just, I could use an umbrella." Tyler's lips curled into a light grin.

"Me too, I guess." Frisk shrugged. Silence hung over them once again, a layer heavier than the air surrounding them, like a cushion in between them. Only the pitter patters of the rain penetrated it as the two waited in anticipating silence, waiting for both their parents to arrive and for an opportunity to converse again that never came. Frisk and Tyler didn't feel any awkwardness in this. The night was satisfactory, like a filling meal, and they could only hope and dream of the future that lay ahead for them after their chance meeting.

* * *

Frisk perked up at the three car honks signaling Tiger and Iris' arrival at their house. "Bye, mom! Bye, Quinn!" Frisk shouted through the house before stepping outside and hopping in the back seat of Tiger's silver minivan.

The thumping bass of a pop song vibrated the vehicle. Tiger was in the driver's seat in a technicolor tie-dye T-Shirt and short jean cutoffs with pastel blue, pink, and white paint splatters on them. Her black and blonde ombre hair was pushed back from her face by a pair of aviator sunglasses. It seemed as though it was yesterday that Frisk met her at that fateful high school dance. Iris was sitting "shotgun", beaming from ear to ear in a similar attire- a pink shirt with "Straight Outta the Closet" written in rainbow lettering on it and denim cutoff shorts with no paint splatters. Her red, curly hair was down and poofy, with some strands dangling between her eyes.

"Whoop whoop! Frisk's here! Now it's a party!" Iris shouted with glee.

"You didn't wear the outfit I made for you? I took forever on those paint splatters!" Tiger said, glancing at Frisk through the rearview mirror as she pulled away from the Dreemurr house. Frisk was wearing jeans and a long sleeve, pink and blue striped shirt.

"Shorts aren't my thing." Frisk shrugged.

"But it's ninety degrees!" Tiger argued.

"I'm willing to suffer." Frisk shrugged again. They found themselves doing it a lot.

"Geez, man," Iris added. "Hey, Frisk, I made us a 'gaylist'! Just for today!"

"That's awesome. You guys are really excited for this festival."

"And you _aren't_?" Tiger and Iris asked in incredulous unison.

"Fair enough." Frisk chuckled.

"It's our first pride, Frisk. Why _wouldn't_ you be excited?" Iris asked.

"I am, I'm just not good at showing it," Frisk replied.

"Fair enough," Iris said.

The festival was located in a local park in the center of the city near Mt. Ebott. It wasn't hard to find-all one had to do was follow the rainbow flags lining the buildings and the streets, to find the park filled with tents and booths and vendors, and the streets sectioned off for the parade. Finding a place to park in the nearby parking area was a much more difficult task, but Tiger managed to squeeze the van in a spot in a far corner, underneath the shade of a large oak tree. Iris popped out of the car first and stepped into the afternoon summer sun. It was a clear day, with only the occasional cirrus cloud appearing in the bright blue sky.

"Alright guys, let's get our pride on!" Iris shouted, jumping up and down with excitement.

Tiger and Frisk stepped out of the van, both on the side where the tree stood. Frisk began to walk towards the back of the vehicle, only to be stopped by Tiger. Frisk turned to face her. "You ready for this?" Tiger asked.

"Yeah, of course."

"Okay," Tiger said. Frisk started walking again. "Hey, Frisk." Frisk stopped and looked back at Tiger. "Thanks, for everything." She smiled. Frisk smiled in reply, and the two walked out of the shade of the tree and stepped into the sun, together. They followed an energized Iris to the tent village, the excitement in their chests and happiness in their hearts increasing with every stride.

* * *

 _ **"Let's just live,**_

 _ **Just one day, let's forget about our problems,**_

 _ **Let's fall in love with life and just be free,**_

 _ **The sun will never fade, the night won't steal our day,**_

 _ **Let's laugh and dance and love and let's just live!"**_

 _ **-Let's Just Live, Jeff and Casey Williams**_

 **I know I've already used this song for an author's note but...**

 **Hey, guess who's feeling festive? Happy Pride month! I decided to take this time to write a "special episode", just like last year's "Pride and Shame". Last year's Pride episode had two sketches, one of happiness, love, and pride, and another of fear, shame, and dysphoria. I decided to follow that same template this year as I took the time to tell the tale of two characters who haven't gotten much attention, both individually and together: Frisk and Tiger. As I said in the last episode, these two go way back. The first two scenes paint how they first met, and the last scene shows their relationship as of recently. As Frisk and Tiger became better friends and their gender identities became more defined, Frisk dared Tiger to transition before their freshman year of high school, and Frisk would do the same. Tiger took that dare, came out, and transitioned in the summer before freshman year, with the help of Frisk. Tiger feels very much indebted to Frisk, and may or may not have a giant crush on them. Iris also came out as bi before her freshman year of high school (after several years of closeted angst) and the three got to experience their first pride together. It's a memory that they fondly recall.**

 **Also, that rain scene at the end of the second sketch was inspired by my favorite scene in Miraculous, you know the one... ;)**

 **This episode was a several week labor of love. I had to rewrite several parts of it to reach where it ended up. I had many bouts of anxiety surrounding this piece as I had with last year's "Pride and Shame". I judged myself harshly, worrying about characterization and representing the trans and non-binary experience correctly. That being said, I hope you can take the time to review this. I would like to use this piece as a comparison to my writing growth, lining up last year's and this year's "Pride and Shame" next to each other. Those who were able to read the original "Pride and Shame", feel free to compare the two and how much I've grown over the past year. Either way, enjoy!**

 **REVIEWS are encouraged! I can always improve somewhere!**


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